I think it's pretty important to make an important clarification. There are come chiropractors (sometimes who are referred to as reform chiropractors I think) who limit their care to musculoskeletal problems, who believe in science based measures and treatments.
There are others who believe that subluxations (pinched nerves in the spine) are the underlying cause of disease, who believe spinal manipulations on infants and even new borns (!!) is warranted and will treat cholic. These ones will often try to sign you up for lengthy treatment contracts and order unnecessary x-rays. I know one of these personally.
So I think it's important to indicate what's being talked about; which type of chiropractor is being discussed.
More Info:
http://www.chirobase.org/13RD/chiroguidelines.html
Quote:
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A 1996 RAND report on The Appropriateness of Manipulation and Mobilization of the Cervical Spine estimated that stroke and other injuries resulting from cervical spine manipulation occurred about 1.46 times per 1,000,000 manipulations [12]. It also concluded that only 11.1% of reported indications for cervical manipulation could be labeled appropriate. A patient who receives regular, frequent, and totally unnecessary neck manipulation is subjected to greater risk. Since many cases of stroke caused by cervical manipulation have not been recognized as such, studies are being done to determine how many stroke victims had neck manipulation prior to their stroke. The incidence of stroke from cervical manipulation might be much higher than indicated in past studies. A study by the Canadian Stroke Consortium, published in the July 18, 2000, Canadian Medical Association Journal, for example, reported that stroke resulting from neck manipulation occurred in 28% of 74 cases studied [13]. Other causes were sudden neck movement of various types. The most common finding was vertebral artery dissection (splitting or tearing of arterial walls with clot formation and embolism) caused by sudden movement or rotation of the top two cervical vertebrae.
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http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...chiroeval.html
Just like anything else, there is good and bad and there are risks involved. Chiropractors as a whole though seem to be bad at real science based critical thought and process. In 1997 600 Chiropractors were questioned and 68% believed that "most diseases are caused by spinal malalignment". That's stunning. It has been improving over recent years though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic
Chiropractic Care
