Ms LK (name witheld pending legal action) - Case Study
Oesteopath Injury 2001
I was 28, married with two children, a college lecturer and program manager when it all began one Saturday morning on the 7th April 2001 when a visit to an Osteopath nearly cost my life.
Within minutes of a neck manipulation I started to feel different, something felt strange with the back of my throat. Over a period of approx 30 minutes I had become totally paralysed; the only thing I could do was blink my eyes.
I was rushed to my local hospital for a CT scan which showed nothing, but the Doctor's explained that he did not think it would.
We still did not know what was wrong. Within 24 hours I had started moving my left side although I had very little control. My speech had come back but it was slow.
It was decided that the only way to get a full picture was with an MRI scan which the Hospital did not have. So on I was transferred to another Hospital that had an MRI scanner. )MRI - magnetic resonance imaging
Within hours of arriving at the new Hospital I had a MRI scan which showed I had suffered a brainstem stroke as result of a dissection of my left vertebral artery.
I spent five weeks in Hospital before being moved to a rehabilitation unit. I stayed there for five months learning to walk, by this time I was able to swallow and my speech had returned to normal.
I finally returned home on the 15th October 2001 and in still receive Physiotherapy.
At the moment (end 2002) I am able to do quite a lot but suffer badly with visual disturbance and balance problems and my right side is weak, I can move my fingers and toes but they do not always do what I want them to do. My balance does not allow me to go out on my own but I am becoming more confident in the house. The main thing is I am improving.
Action for Victims comment:
This serious injury is rejected by the Government and Neck Manipulation Advocators (particularly) Chiropractors as naturally occurring phenomena. It is said that such undetectable weakness in vertebral arteries are inherent in the population. Basically this lady was an accident waiting to happen. This conclusion is in debate and the jury is still out. Notice how very close this injury mirrors Frances Denoon's story.
Action For Victims of Chiropractic cannot be held responsible for any content or accuracies of these voluntary stories.