ABSTRACT
Spinal manipulation is a safe and effective therapy for spinal pain disorders of mechanical origin, and has been identified as a treatment of choice for certain conditions. Chiropractic is the health profession that most commonly delivers spinal manipulation. Chiropractors are highly educated and receive thorough training in spinal manipulation. Many chiropractors use evidence-based protocols for the conservative treatment of spinal pain disorders. In practice, however, the conventional medical community as a whole has exhibited reluctance to accept chiropractic. A patient who presents to the emergency department with back or neck pain may be a candidate for spinal manipulation. Emergency department staff should have a basic understanding of the risks and benefits of spinal manipulation, and should be able to identify patients likely to benefit from referral to a chiropractor.