Jan 22
Chiropractor

Safety Of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation For Lumbar Disc Issues

Good news for back pain sufferers: chiropractic spinal manipulation, like Cox® Technic that we use in our practice, demonstrates a favorable safety profile for patients with lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, and radiculopathy, with remarkably low rates of serious adverse events. A retrospective cohort study of over 168,000 adults with low back pain treated at US academic health centers found no cases of cauda equina syndrome following chiropractic spinal manipulation, yielding an upper 95% confidence interval of 2.2 cases per 100,000 patients. (1) More specifically, among patients with lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, or radiculopathy, the risk of cauda equina syndrome following chiropractic manipulation was estimated at 0.88 per 100,000 patients, which was statistically comparable to the risk associated with physical therapist-led exercise (0.44 per 100,000). (2) These findings indicate that spinal manipulation, when performed by trained chiropractors, carries minimal risk even in vulnerable populations with significant spinal pathology. The evidence suggests that concerns about complications from chiropractic care for these conditions may be overstated, supporting its consideration as a conservative treatment option within appropriate clinical guidelines and patient selection criteria. (1,2) As a chiropractic patient at our clinic, you are in well-trained, well-experienced hands to manage your condition!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Brandon Skiles on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about the gentle, safe, effective treatment of a disc herniation following the protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

TIP OF THE MONTH: A New Exercise Approach for Chronic Disc Pain Relief

If you’re struggling with chronic disc pain, a fresh exercise approach called dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) might be the answer you’ve been looking for to boost your spinal exercise routine’s effectiveness. This method retrains your body’s natural movement patterns—similar to how babies learn to stabilize their spine before walking. A recent study found that back pain patients doing DNS exercises experienced significant pain relief, improved mobility, and stronger core muscles. What makes DNS different is that it doesn’t just strengthen muscles; it teaches your body to move correctly again by restoring natural coordination and core stability, potentially providing lasting relief from chronic back pain. (3) Let’s talk at your next visit about the appropriateness of this exercise for you.

Happy New Year! Thank you for making us a part of your spine’s 2026 healthcare team. See you soon!

References for HEALTHY NEWS – January 2026

  1. Trager RJ, Baumann AN, Perez JA, Dusek JA, Perfecto RT, Goertz CM. Association between chiropractic spinal manipulation and cauda equina syndrome in adults with low back pain: Retrospective cohort study of US academic health centers. PLoS One. 2024 Mar 11;19(3):e0299159. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299159. PMID: 38466710; PMCID: PMC10927125.
  2. Trager RJ, Baumann AN, Perfecto RT, Goertz CM. Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy versus physical therapist-led exercise and the risk of cauda equina syndrome in adults with lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, or radiculopathy. PM R. 2026 Jan 3. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.70071. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41482869.
  3. Ameri B, Fatahi A, Abadi RN, Molavian R. Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Exercise and Chronic Lumbar Disc Herniation: Effects on Pain, Mobility, and Trunk Endurance-A Randomized Controlled Trial. Health Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 14;8(12):e71611. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.71611. PMID: 41403571; PMCID: PMC12703123.