A 29-year-old gymgoer tragically passed away after a visit to a chiropractor for neck pain went horribly wrong.
Joanna Kowalczyk, 29, from Newcastle, England, suffered a serious neck injury during a personal training session in September 2021.
Her injury, identified as an arterial dissection – a tear in the lining of an artery – was complicated by an underlying connective tissue disorder that heightened her susceptibility to such damage, according to The Times.
Despite visiting a hospital for an initial assessment, Kowalczyk declined a recommended procedure and opted instead for alternative treatment.
This decision ultimately led to further complications and her death.
Kowalczyk’s medical records revealed she had pre-existing conditions, including joint hypermobility and frequent migraines, that made her more vulnerable to arterial injuries.
However, her chiropractor failed to review these records or obtain additional medical information before proceeding with treatment.
The coroner found that during a series of four chiropractic sessions in September and October 2021, Kowalczyk suffered acute arterial dissections in the same area as her initial injury. These worsened her condition and proved fatal.
Assistant Coroner Leila Benyounes, presiding over the inquest for Gateshead and South Tyneside, concluded that Kowalczyk’s death was caused by “chiropractic treatment following a naturally occurring medical event.”
In her published findings, Benyounes called on the General Chiropractic Council to introduce mandatory protocols requiring chiropractors to review patients’ medical histories before administering treatment.
She said: “The evidence on behalf of the treating chiropractor was that he did not consider it necessary to request GP records or hospital records, before assessment or treatment despite being informed about the Deceased’s recent hospital attendance, investigation which was recommended, and her discharge against medical advice.
“Even in the updated consent form I have been provided with, which was designed by the British Chiropractic Association, there is no prompt or question designed for the chiropractor to ask to consider obtaining medical records before assessment or treatment, and when this may be appropriate.”
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Benyounes continued: “The only reference to medical records is a consent to communicate as deemed necessary for the treatment, and for a report to be sent to the GP after treatment.
“I am concerned that consideration to obtaining medical records should always be given before assessment, particularly where recent medical treatment or investigations has been undertaken.”
Following her gym injury, Kowalczyk visited the emergency department, where she underwent a CT scan.
Doctors advised her to undergo a lumbar puncture to rule out the possibility of a hemorrhage, but she chose to “self-discharge” from the hospital.
She then sought chiropractic care for her neck pain, informing her practitioner of her prior hospital visit and scan.
Despite this, the chiropractor did not seek access to her medical records or follow up on her hospital diagnosis.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, Kowalczyk underwent four sessions of “adjustments and manipulation” at the chiropractic clinic before her condition rapidly deteriorated.
The case has sparked renewed scrutiny of chiropractic practices and the need for stricter guidelines to protect vulnerable patients.
The General Chiropractic Council is expected to review the coroner’s recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
