Every year, large numbers of people in the U.S. see chiropractors for relief of headaches; back, shoulder, foot and neck pain; and for help with numbness and tingling or a loss of strength in the arms and hands.
About 35 million adults nationwide saw a chiropractor in the previous 12 months, according to a survey done by the Gallup Panel that was released in August. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Palmer College of Chiropractic, based in Davenport, Iowa, found that more than 62 million people have seen a chiropractor since 2011, and 77 percent of those treated found their chiropractic care "very effective." And indeed, chiropractors tout their treatment as the least invasive and safest therapy for many ailments. But chiropractic treatment is not without risk, as a recent high-profile death shows.