# Caitlin Jensen paralyzed after visit with chiropractor **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912 "2022-07-14T02:20:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/1 "2022-07-14T02:20:51Z")
There are good chiropractors. I know several people that have relied on them for years. My mom had extreme hip pain and could barely walk. The doctor gave her a steroid shot. Worked great for a few months. She needed a 2nd steroid shot and the doctor said she couldn’t have any more for almost a year. Over use of the shots can cause damage. Plan B was a chiropractor that several people recommended. Mom walked pain free after six weeks. The pain did come back the next year and she scheduled more chiropractor visits. A friend from high school is a plumber. He almost had to stop work and go on Disability benefits. His chiropractor has kept him working for the last 8 years. He has to crawl in attics and even get on his belly to get under houses. Its very strenuous work. A good chiropractor is licensed and will order xrays and other scans. Apparently Caitlin Jensen’s chiropractor didn’t take this essential step. > **[Georgia College Graduate Paralyzed After Visit to the Chiropractor, Family Says](https://people.com/health/georgia-college-graduate-paralyzed-chiropractor-visit-family-says/)** > > Caitlin Jensen experienced four severed arteries in her neck after a routine appointment at the chiropractor > [@](#): > > On June 16, recent Georgia Southern University graduate Caitlin Jensen visited a chiropractor for an “adjustment to her neck”, according to a [GoFundMe](https://www.gofundme.com/f/caitlin-jensen-medical-expenses) page established to offset her medical expenses. After the adjustment, Jensen “became ill” and hospitalized, where tests revealed she had four dissected arteries within her neck. > “This damage led to cardiac arrest and a stroke, as well as a loss of pulse for over 10 minutes after which she was revived,” the fundraising page reads. “Once the doctors were able to stabilize Caitlin, she was rushed to surgery. Doctors were able to repair some tears and placed a stent in one artery.” > > Caitlin’s mother Darlene Jensen told [WSB-TV](https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/recent-georgia-college-grad-paralyzed-after-visit-chiropractor-family-says/AG7HALLWTFFK5IFETCL7JEOC2Q/) that doctors believe the young woman’s stroke occurred “as a direct result of the neck manipulation.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/2 "2022-07-14T02:26:43Z")
I live in a city with a college of chiropractic, and they’re pretty much on every street corner. Some are legitimate practitioners, and some are woo to the core. And I can’t be the only person who read that as “Caitlin Jenner” (sic). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/3 "2022-07-14T02:32:24Z")
This poor lady had such a extreme injury. She communicates by blinking her eyes and wiggling a toe. I can’t imagine the cost of medical care that family is facing. I’ve heard chiropractor education requirements and licensing varies a lot by state. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/4 "2022-07-14T02:37:54Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And I can’t be the only person who read that as “Caitlin Jenner” (sic). Me too–and was wondering “why does a rich woman like that have a Gofundme?”. Aceplace57 probably just should have given a generic title: “Young Woman Paralyzed after Visit to Chiropractor” Anyone have a guess as to how much liability coverage chiropractors usually carry? This looks like a $10 million or more judgement. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/5 "2022-07-14T02:41:39Z")
I didn’t think about Caitlyn Jenner. Different last name. But now that you point it out. It hard not to see the similarities. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/6 "2022-07-14T02:47:42Z")
Yeah, I don’t know why you’d use her name in the title unless she was already well-known. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/7 "2022-07-14T02:49:30Z")
When I was a baby, my mother got a back injury from a chiropractor that put her in the hospital for a week, and even though I don’t remember it, I won’t go near one. I do know people who have been helped by them, though. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/8 "2022-07-14T02:53:54Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And I can’t be the only person who read that as “Caitlin Jenner” Nope. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/9 "2022-07-14T02:57:44Z")
Ms Jensen may have been at extreme risk. A car wreck or just turning her head quickly might have caused a similiar injury. The chiropractor should have ordered xrays at a minimum before touching her. I woke up with cricks in my neck several times in my early teens. Family told me it would get worse if I didn’t move my head. A fast head turn and it was fine. Now I realize what could have happened.🤔 I guess my young age meant I didn’t have any dislocated vertebra. It was muscle stiffness. This physical therapist says almost the same thing as my family did 50 years ago. Except he recommends stretching. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lwhYbWFtNuE/hqdefault.jpg "What To Do For A Crick In The Neck") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwhYbWFtNuE) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/10 "2022-07-14T03:09:51Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Some are legitimate practitioners, and some are woo to the core. It’s all woo. From the wikipedia article: > [@](#): > > **Chiropractic** is a form of [alternative medicine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_medicine)[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Chapman-Smith-1) concerned with the [diagnosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_diagnosis), [treatment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapy) and [prevention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preventive_healthcare) of [mechanical disorders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_disorder) of the [musculoskeletal system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musculoskeletal_system), especially of the [spine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebral_column).[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Nelson-2) It has [esoteric](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esoteric) origins[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Swanson2015-3) and is based on several [pseudoscientific](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience) ideas.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-4) > … > [Systematic reviews](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_review) of controlled clinical studies of treatments used by chiropractors have found no evidence that [chiropractic manipulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic_manipulation) is [effective](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efficacy#Healthcare), with the possible exception of treatment for [back pain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_pain).[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Ernst-eval-8) A 2011 critical evaluation of 45 systematic reviews found that spinal manipulation was ineffective at treating any condition.[[10]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Posadzki-Ernst-10) Spinal manipulation may be [cost-effective](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost-effective) for sub-acute or chronic low back pain, but the results for acute low back pain were insufficient.[[11]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Lin2011-11) No compelling evidence exists to indicate that maintenance chiropractic care adequately prevents symptoms or diseases.[[12]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-ErnstMaintenance2009-12) > > **There is not sufficient data to establish the safety of chiropractic manipulations.[[13]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Gouveia-13) It is frequently associated with mild to moderate [adverse effects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effects), with serious or fatal complications in rare cases.[[14]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Ernst-adverse-14) There is controversy regarding the degree of risk of [vertebral artery dissection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebral_artery_dissection), which can lead to [stroke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke) and death, from [cervical manipulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_manipulation).[[15]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Haynes-15)** Several deaths have been associated with this technique[[14]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Ernst-adverse-14) and it has been suggested that the relationship is [causative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causative),[[16]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Ernst-2010-16)[[17]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Ernst-death-17) a claim which is disputed by many chiropractors.[[17]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic#cite_note-Ernst-death-17) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/11 "2022-07-14T03:10:00Z")
Remember a huge number of people die every year of medical errors. Remember this? > **[Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. -...](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/study_suggests_medical_errors_now_third_leading_cause_of_death_in_the_us)** > > Analyzing medical death rate data over an eight-year period, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts have calculated that more than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error in the U.S. Their figure, published May 3 in  The BMJ , surpasses... Although few people believe it is anywhere near this bad. So chiropractic is probably similar to the rest of the medical world–and a great many people find chiropractic useful–particularly those who do a lot of hard, physical labor. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/12 "2022-07-14T03:14:55Z")
I did too. Mostly because, I think, we’re trained to expect headlines to have the names of people we should know. People often complain about headline epithets instead of names like “local woman” or “African teenager,” especially in particular circumstances, but I think this is one reason for it (albeit caused by the very practice). ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/13 "2022-07-14T03:17:06Z")
Back pain is complicated. Not all of it needs treatments stronger than pain medicine and time. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy can help. I have seen a lot of people who say they found chiropracty helpful, though some are better than others. I might consider it if other things did not work. But I would not let them do anything to my neck, as this problem is known. In fact, I have seen this serious problem clinically. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/14 "2022-07-14T03:18:06Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > In fact, I have seen this serious problem clinically. And yet, having your neck cracked is standard treatment for anyone going to a chiropractor, because they need an “adjustment”. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/15 "2022-07-14T03:26:23Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > People often complain about headline epithets instead of names like “local woman” or “African teenager,” especially in particular circumstances, but I think this is one reason for it (albeit caused by the very practice). I was trying to be respectful. Ms Jensen suffered such a horrific and permanent injury. Georgia woman gets paralyzed, just didn’t seem right. I wanted to acknowledge her as a person that is suffering. She’s right on the edge of Locked-in Syndrome. A little more spinal damage and she wouldn’t be able to move anything. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/16 "2022-07-14T03:43:13Z")
Been meaning to ask: “chiropractor” has become shorthand for “back doctor”, even tho they aren’t physicians at all. So what kind of specialist should I see for back & spinal issues? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/17 "2022-07-14T03:50:37Z")
I think you want an orthopedic specialist. Maybe an osteopath, depending on exactly what the issue is. Your GP will tell you which one you need. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/18 "2022-07-14T03:51:15Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Anyone have a guess as to how much liability coverage chiropractors usually carry? This looks like a $10 million or more judgement. The minimum required limit in Georgia for chiropractors’ medical malpractice insurance is $1 million. He might also have umbrella above that, but I have no idea how high that might go. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/19 "2022-07-14T03:58:02Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Ms Jensen suffered such a horrific and permanent injury. It might not be permanent; from the Gofundme: “Caitlin has a long road to recovery”. Hopefully she can make at least a partial recovery. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912/20 "2022-07-14T04:02:40Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I think you want an orthopedic specialist. Maybe an osteopath, depending on exactly what the issue is. Your GP will tell you which one you need. And they may in turn refer you to a occupational therapist/physical therapist, who has training without the woo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caitlin-jensen-paralyzed-after-visit-with-chiropractor/967912.md?page=2)