Tragic Death of 29-year-Old Woman After Chiropractic Treatment โSparks Calls for Stricter Regulations
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LONDON, Feb 1: A 29-year-old woman in the UK tragically died after seeking chiropractic careโข for neck pain following an injury. โAccording to a report from โขthe Gateshead and south Tyneside Coroner, Joanna Kowalczyk passed away on October 19, 2021, due to the consequences of chiropractic treatment combined with a โstroke and an undiagnosed arterial dissection. โข
Kowalczyk โfirst sustained an arterial dissection during a โขpersonal training session in september 2021. An arterial dissection occurs when there โis a tear along the inside lining of an artery, frequently enough in the head, neck, or spine. After hearing a crack in her neck, Kowalczyk sought medical attention at the โhospital,โค where a CT scan was performed. Medics suggested she undergo a lumbar puncture to rule out a hemorrhage, but she chose to self-discharge fromโ the hospital and instead sought chiropractic therapy.
She informedโ the chiropractor โขabout her CT scan, butโค the chiropractor did notโ obtain her full โmedical โrecords before beginning treatment. Kowalczyk began a four-week chiropractic regimen. On october 16,2021,during a โขlater session,she suddenly experienced dizziness,vomiting,double vision,tingling in her right hand and foot,and difficulty speaking. The chiropractor suspected a stroke and performed a FAST test, which โขcame back negative, โฃand her symptoms improved. However,โ a second chiropractor was consulted,โ and both advisedโข Kowalczyk to goโ to the hospital. She declined andโ was instead escorted home by her partner.
Later โthat day, Kowalczyk was treated by paramedics, who diagnosed her with a migraine, as โdizziness and migraineโค symptoms โฃwereโ considered typical after chiropractic โขtreatments. Despite negative FAST tests, Kowalczyk had, โactually, suffered a stroke. According to the โcoroner’s report,the paramedic missed signs of stroke,as they wereโ unaware that strokeโฃ symptoms can subside quickly.Had โฃthe paramedic noted Kowalczyk’s inability to mobilize unaided, she would have โbeen assessed as FAST positive, and her condition could have been treated more urgently.
The next day, โKowalczykโs condition worsened, and paramedics again attended to her. Because โคof her reduced consciousness, a FAST test could not be performed. She was transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, โwhere she required โintubation and ventilation. A CT scanโ revealed a maturing obstruction โฃnear the base of her skull, and a CT angiogram confirmed a left vertebral artery dissection. Unluckily, no treatment options were available, and Kowalczyk passed away two days โขlater.Assistant Coroner Leila Benyounes recommended that the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) implement rules requiring chiropractors to obtain patients’ medical historiesโค before commencingโฃ treatment. The report was sent to both the GCC and the North Eastโ Ambulance Service (NEAS), with โขa deadline of April 25 for their responses.
Benyounes โคexpressed concern over the failure to โobtainโ Kowalczykโs medical records, particularly considering โher recent โmedical treatment. โ”In my opinion, actionโ should be taken to prevent future deaths, and Iโ believe you have the power to take such action,” โshe stated.
The GCC responded, acknowledging the coronerโs โคconcerns, and expressed condolences toโ Kowalczyk’s family. “We expect chiropractors toโฃ provideโค good quality โขcare that is โpatient-centred, safe, and effective,”โฃ the GCC added.
Theโ NEAS also expressed condolences,calling โKowalczyk’s death a โฃ”tragic case.” The service affirmed that its paramedics are trained โto recognise stroke symptoms and react โขaccordingly. NEAS alsoโฃ conducted its own investigation, which supported the paramedicโs clinical decision-making and โฃcareโ plan.
This tragic โคincident has raisedโ concerns about the practices surrounding chiropractic care andโค medical assessment protocols, with calls for more stringent regulations to prevent similar tragedies in the future. โ
| Key Details โฃ โ | Summary โ โฃ โ โ โ โ โขโ |
|————————————-|—————————————————————————–|
| Date of Death โ โ โฃ | October 19, 2021 โฃ โ โฃ โค โข |
| โ Cause of Death โค | โStroke and undiagnosed arterial dissection following chiropractic treatment |
| Initial Injury โ โ โค | Arterial dissection during โขa gym sessionโ in september 2021 โฃ โ |
| Chiropractic Treatment | Four-week regimen without full medical records โข |
| Coronerโs Advice โฃ โ | GCC to require medical history checks โbefore treatment โฃ โข โฃ โ |
| Organizations Involved โฃ โ โโ | General Chiropractic Council (GCC), North East โขAmbulance โService โฃ(NEAS) | โฃ
this โcase underscores the critical โขneed for improved interaction and protocols in both chiropractic care and emergency medical services to ensure patient safety.

