2. I have also been advised that the following risks are associated with the treatment:

1. In a minority of cases the treatment may not be successful and I may be in the same position I am now.

2. Although uncommon the treatment may make my condition worse.

• In the case of treatment with manipulation or adjustments to the spine and pelvis, temporary soreness occurs in about 1 in 3 patients; strains and sprains to the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues occur but are uncommon; rupture to discs between the spinal vertebrae are uncommon but in these cases nerve pain can ensue with radiation of pain into the arms, trunk or legs. In rare instances this can cause permanent disabling pain and weakness in an arm or leg, and in very rare instances bowel bladder and penis erectile function can be impaired; another rare event is fracture to the ribs.

• In the Case of manipulation to the neck there have been reported additional cases of injury to arteries in the neck. These are very rare events (approximately 1:100 000 to 1:400 000) but if they occur they have been known to cause stroke sometimes with serious injury such as quadriplegia or death. The risk of these most catastrophic events is extremely rare.

• Other: Acupuncture (dry needle) treatment is used in this clinic. It is a form of therapy in which fine needles are inserted into specific body points. Acupuncture is generally safe with serious side effects less than one per 10000 treatments. Common side effects included drowsiness, minor bleeding (3%), pain during treatment (1%), increased pain after treatment (3%) and fainting. If acupuncture is provided to your trunk, there is a possibility of a pneumothorax. Single use, sterile disposable needles are only used in this clinic.