Pain in neck and bulge after going to a chiropractor

by Heather
(Richmond VT)

What could the chiropractor have done to my boyfriend's neck that causes him to be in pain and have bad headaches that he didn't have till the chiropractor cracked his neck.

He also has a bulge on the right side, like the the veratbra is out of joint. He his a 31 year man who had no pain in his neck till he was popped.

Mmm, there are a variety of possibilities, Heather.

My first question is why did he go to the chiropractor in the first place for neck treatment if he didn't have pain in the neck?

When there is a chronic problem, there is quite often "after-pain" especially after the first treatment or two. That's not unusual, but it should be fairly short lived. Perhaps a day or two. If it's longer, there is cause for concern.

Secondly, every neck is different. One person has had two car accidents, another a diving accident, a third a fall from a horse... it takes time for your chiropractor to work out what combination of treatments is best. It takes a bit of trust, and some patience, and honest feedback. "I felt terrible after the last treatment" is okay.

Thirdly, there may be some abnormality (such as block vertebrae) that you can't detect without an X-ray. We don't X-ray every patient for obvious reasons, and sometimes, in retrospect, we realise we should have.

And lastly, it's possible that s/he just did it wrong. It's called iatrogenic illness - doctor caused disease. It happens to every single doctor, including chiropractors, including myself. After the fact, you realise you should have done this, and not that... again more honest talk.

Your boyfriend should phone the chiropractor back. If s/he doesn't take your boyfriend seriously, or respond sympathetically, I'd go elsewhere.

I hope that contributes.

Dr B