Recent findings in headache and migraine described by J.D. Cassidy and colleagues.(Reprint)

"Population-based, case-control and case-crossover study. To investigate associations between chiropractic visits and vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) stroke and to contrast this with primary care physician (PCP) visits and VBA stroke," scientists in Toronto, Canada report (see also Headache and Migraine).

"Chiropractic care is popular for neck pain and headache, but may increase the risk for VBA dissection and stroke. Neck pain and headache are common symptoms of VBA dissection, which commonly precedes VBA stroke. Cases included eligible incident VBA strokes admitted to Ontario hospitals from April 1, 1993 to March 31, 2002. Four controls were age and gender matched to each case. Case and control exposures to chiropractors and PCPs were determined from health billing records in the year before the stroke date. In the case-crossover analysis, cases acted as their own controls. There were 818 VBA strokes hospitalized in a population of more than 100 million person-years. In those aged

The researchers concluded: "We found no evidence of excess risk of VBA stroke associated chiropractic care compared to primary care. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009;32:S201-S208)'."

Cassidy and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (RISK OF VERTEBROBASILAR STROKE AND CHIROPRACTIC CARE Results of a Population-Based Case-Control and Case-Crossover Study (Reprinted from Spine, vol 33, pg S176-S183, 2008). Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2009;32(2 Suppl. S):S201-S208).

...