Preretinal hemorrhages following chiropractor neck manipulation

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of a new complication following complementary and alternative medicine chiropractor neck manipulation with multiple preretinal hemorrhages. Observations: A 59-year-old Caucasian female presented with the acute, painless constant appearance of 3 spots in her vision immediately after a chiropractor performed cervical spinal manipulation using the high-velocity, low-amplitude technique. Examination multiple unilateral preretinal hemorrhages with no retinal tears. The preretinal hemorrhages were self-limited and resolved by 2 months later. Conclusions: Chiropractor neck manipulation has previously been reported leading to complications related to the carotid artery and arterial plaques. This presents the first case of multiple unilateral preretinal hemorrhages immediately following chiropractic neck manipulation. This suggests that chiropractor spinal adjustment can not only affect the carotid artery, but also could lead to preretinal hemorrhages. Keywords: Chiropractor, Neck manipulation, Preretinal hemorrhage, Complementary and alternative medicine, CAM