Chiropractor tears Las Vegas woman's artery while cracking her neck

A routine chiropractic adjustment left a woman with a tear in her artery. Although she narrowly avoided a stroke, her recovery has been prolonged.

A woman's trip to the chiropractor altered her life completely and led to serious health complications. We have all seen those satisfying chiropractor videos where an expert cracks the neck or back of a person, relieving them of severe tension locked inside their body. However, for 41-year-old Carissa Klundt, it caused a tear in the artery that runs along her spine.

A vertebral artery dissection, or VAD, is a tear in one or more tissue layers that make up the vertebral artery. (For representation)(Shutterstock)

According to People, Carissa used to visit a chiropractor regularly after she struggled with back pain following the removal of breast implants that she said had made her ill. During one of the visitations, the tragedy struck.

A chiropractor visit sense woman to the emergency ward

During one of her sessions with the chiropractor in November 2022, a substitute stepped in and cracked her neck. Instead of feeling better, the mom of three instantly felt that something was wrong. “As soon as it happened, I knew something was wrong. You do hear a crack anyway when you get an adjustment, but I knew something had gone wrong. There was a pain in my neck. I got home and felt like I was going to throw up,” she told People.

Chiropractors focus on treating the spine by using their hands to examine and treat health conditions related to the bones, muscles and joints. (For representation).

The trip to the hospital saved Carissa's life. She was immediately transferred to the ICU of another hospital. “They said I could've had a stroke. If I hadn't gone to the hospital, I would've had a stroke. I could've so easily died. It traumatised my whole family,” she revealed.

However, the chiropractor's mistake led to lasting complications. She struggled for the first month and was pretty much in bed. “I was exhausted, sleeping for 17 hours a day. I needed help walking. I was in constant pain,” she said.

According to People, now, after nearly three years, her symptoms haven't subsided. Earlier, she was healthy and active. But now, she won't be able to do physical activities that she enjoyed. “I'll never ski again, I'll never go on a rollercoaster. I'm not teaching [fitness] classes anymore. There's still a residual fear of it happening again. I'm doing well now, but it's been a long recovery process,” she revealed.

“My life was really put on pause. I absolutely regret going to the chiropractor…I want people to understand what the symptoms are and that this is a life-threatening condition,” Carissa revealed.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.