Chiropractor Tears Mom’s Artery While Cracking Her Neck

What started as a simple trip to the chiropractor for relief turned into a medical nightmare for one Las Vegas mother. Carissa Klundt, 41, says a neck adjustment gone wrong left her with a torn artery—and weeks in the ICU.

Back in November 2022, Klundt was seeking treatment for lingering pain tied to a breast implant removal surgery she had undergone four years earlier. She had been seeing a chiropractor regularly and says her first few visits went smoothly. But everything changed during her fourth appointment, when a substitute chiropractor stepped in.

“As soon as it happened, I knew something was wrong,” Klundt recalled. “You do hear a crack anyway when you get an adjustment, but this felt different. There was a pain in my neck. I got home and felt like I was going to throw up.”

Over the next several weeks, her symptoms got worse. Klundt says she began experiencing blackouts and visual disturbances. Her husband, alarmed by her condition, insisted she go to the ER. A CAT scan revealed the damage: a vertebral artery dissection—a tear in one of the major arteries running along the spine to the brain.

According to medical experts, such an injury can disrupt blood flow and lead to potentially fatal complications like stroke. Klundt says doctors told her she was lucky to have come in when she did. “They said I could’ve had a stroke. I could’ve so easily died. It traumatized my whole family.”

After being transferred to the ICU, Klundt’s life ground to a halt. “I was pretty much in bed. I was exhausted, sleeping 17 hours a day. I needed help walking. I was in constant pain.”

Once an active fitness and wellness advocate, she says the injury permanently changed her life. “I’ll never ski again. I’ll never go on a rollercoaster. I’m not teaching classes anymore. There’s still a residual fear it could happen again.”

Klundt, now nearing the third year of her recovery, is speaking out to raise awareness. “My life was really put on pause. I absolutely regret going to the chiropractor. It’s not about blaming anyone—it’s about letting people know this can happen.”

She hopes that by sharing her story, others will recognize the warning signs and take symptoms seriously. “This is a life-threatening condition. I want people to understand that.”