Are Chiropractors Safe? Experts Weigh in on Playboy Model Death After Chiropractic Adjustment

Playboy model Katie May died in 2016 days after experiencing a stroke caused by a ruptured artery, and it was ruled that the artery was damaged during a neck manipulation by a chiropractor.

However, death caused by chiropractic manipulations is very rare. A RAND study states that the rate of serious complications caused by chiropractic adjustments are one in one million.

"With any medical care, there are risks involved," Todd Sinett, Doctor of Chiropractic and author of Three Weeks to a Better Back, told PEOPLE. "Chiropractic care is statistically the safest mode of treatment for any type of treatment within the neck compared to injections or even medications."

More common risks include soreness, muscle tension, and in extreme cases, a broken rib.

May's case is "very, very rare," said Sinett, who explained that the adjustment impacted the arteries that go from the neck into the brain.

"In this particular case, unfortunately, her arteries got compromised so much they tore, which created a stroke and ultimately the patient died," he said. "Statistically speaking, studies have shown the chances of this happening anywhere from one in one million to one in four million."

Robert Pomahac, Doctor of Chiropractic and CEO of MaxHealth LA, said May likely had a pre-existing vascular issue.

"If a person has neck pain due to some form of trauma like a slip and fall, and their head goes into extension and rotation, this can contribute to a vascular issue," said Pomahac. "The only way to determine if the neck pain is coming from a vascular issue is to have every person get a CT angiogram."

Doctor of Chiropractic Dan Murphy agreed that May likely had a pre-existing issue with her artery.

"When people are having a spontaneous dissection of a vertebral artery, there are certain symptoms that if the patient has we are taught not to adjust them and send them to the ER," said Murphy. "When this happens with a chiropractor, it's because they had some sort of underlying arterial pathology."

However, Sinett noted May may not have been showing any signs of artery damage.

"The chiropractor could have been overly aggressive or missed some early warning signs, but she may have exhibited no risk factors, and the chiropractor could have done everything right," said Sinett.

Jeffrey Wang, MD, co-director of the USC Spine Center, said he does not recommend chiropractic manipulations as treatment for patients with spine issues because of the risks involved.

"I don't recommend chiropractic care for patients with spinal cord compression or nerve compression where forceful manipulation may have a great potential for problems," he said.

Wang — who noted that May's case is a "freak accident" — said he would prescribe physical therapy instead.

"One of the mainstays of treatments for neck disorders is doing core strengthening to strengthen the muscles around the spine," he said. "It allows you to be supported and give more stabilization to your spine. You would not want to do any forceful manipulation because that could cause nerve damage."