‘I Almost Died’: Illinois Woman Goes To Chiropractor For Common Procedure, Then Ends Up In ER
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2025 11:42 am
TikTok creator Taylor-Nicole Limas (@ladyaguilera2.0) has a story to tell, and she’s hoping that it saves lives.
ABC News report, May, the Playboy model and social media influencer, passed away in February 2016 following a visit to a chiropractor’s office for a neck adjustment. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said the cause of death was vertebral artery dissection.
Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a condition where the inner lining of the vertebral artery tears, allowing blood to flow between the layers of the artery wall. More specifically, per the Cleveland Clinic, “Your vertebral artery runs along the back of your neck and supplies your brain and spine with oxygen-rich blood. A dissection forms when there’s a tear in one or more of its three tissue layers. It can affect blood flow, putting you at risk for life-threatening complications.”
There was much to say in the comments to Limas’ video.
Commenters Offer Opinions on Chiropractors
One said that her “neurologist made me sign an agreement before he took me on as patient that I would never go to a chiropractor as he sees two patients a year on average that have died from ruptured carotid arteries after going to a chiropractor.”
Another claimed a chiropractor caused completely different injuries, to the lower extremities: Not as bad as your story, but don’t let them pull your legs. I had a chiropractor tear my [meniscus in both knees.]”
“I saw two young females in their 20s with the exact same injuries (dissected vertebral arteries) from a chiropractor,” said a nurse. “One waited 3 hours before coming to the hospital and after going into surgery, she made a full recovery. The second waited overnight and came in with paralysis of her left side and blindness on her left. She went into surgery, but never recovered from the injuries.”
Aside from the anecdotes, there does not appear to be anything resembling certainty on causality with vertebral artery dissection and various complications, including strokes. Studies are available, but are limited. One “study of studies” says the risk is rare and depends on the practitioner. Cardiologists, per Women’s Health, say cervical manipulation is not worth the squeeze, no matter what.
The American Chiropractic Association’s view is unsteady, saying the “questions about a causal relationship between cervical manipulation and stroke are not completely settled.” But it ultimately writes that “scientific evidence from both population-based and biomechanical studies consistently suggests the relationship is most likely circumstantial and that vertebral artery damage from cervical manipulation is probably not biologically plausible in most circumstances.”
All Hip Hop reached out to Limas for additional comment.
@ladyaguilera2.0 Storytime: I almost died but I saved someone’s life #fyp #fypシ #storytime ♬ original sound – ladyaguilera2.0