Drug & supplement interaction

Chiropractic + Gabapentin

Gabapentin brand names: Neurontin, Gralise.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Chiropractic and Gabapentin in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Chiropractic and Gabapentin

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Gabapentin and Chiropractic in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — research on Chiropractic alongside specific medications may be limited.

Chiropractic is a treatment rather than something you take. Tell whoever provides it which medicines you use, and ask your prescriber whether it is appropriate for your health and treatment. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Chiropractic safety at a glance

Chiropractic overall Use caution Generally safe for most people when done by a licensed provider, but serious risks exist for certain neck procedures and high-risk patients.
Pregnancy Possibly Safe When used appropriately, short-term. Chiropractic treatment has been administered during pregnancy with apparent safety for up to 10 weeks. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Generally safe Chiropractic care does not involve substances passed through breast milk and is generally considered acceptable while breastfeeding.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Gabapentin and Chiropractic? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Gabapentin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Gabapentin is filed under 4 classifications — including anticonvulsants, cns depressants, oral drugs. Chiropractic has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being warfarin (coumadin) (moderate) — and none of Gabapentin’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Chiropractic Does Interact With Other Medications

Chiropractic has 2 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Gabapentin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Chiropractic

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Chiropractic. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Chiropractic and Gabapentin May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so having Chiropractic while taking the medicine can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    Chiropractic

    “In one case report, a tall, thin patient with a significant smoking history presented with sudden onset dyspnea at rest and associated chest pain two days after chiropractic manipulation of the chest and back. The patient was found to have developed a life-threatening spontaneous primary hemopneumothorax requiring hospitalization and chest tube insertion.”

    Chiropractic · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pain.

    1 source cited
    1. 106822. Khatib S, Sabobeh T, Abdalla K, Kulkarni S. A Case Report of Life-Threatening Hemopneumothorax as a Result of Spinal Manipulation Performed by Chiropractor. Cureus 2021;13(9):e18031. PubMed

    Gabapentin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gabapentin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Back pain Additional detail

    Chiropractic

    “Adverse reactions are common in patients with neck pain who receive cervical spine manipulation. Reported adverse events occur in about 30% to 56% of patients receiving treatment for neck pain. About 13% of side effects are reported to be of severe intensity. Increased neck pain or neck stiffness occurred in 25% of patients.”

    Chiropractic · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in back pain.

    4 sources cited
    1. 15960. Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Vassilaki M, Chiang LM. Frequency and clinical predictors of adverse reactions to chiropractic care in the UCLA neck pain study. Spine 2005;30:1477-84. PubMed
    2. 15969. Rubinstein SM, Leboeuf-Yde C, Knol DL, et al. The benefits outweigh the risks for patients undergoing chiropractic care for neck pain: a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2007;30:408-18. PubMed
    3. 15968. Vohra S, Johnston BC, Cramer K, Humphreys K. Adverse events associated with pediatric spinal manipulation: a systematic review. Pediatrics 2007;119:e275-83. PubMed
    4. 16855. Sozio MS, Cave M. Boerhaave's syndrome following chiropractic manipulation. Am Surg 2008;74:428-9. DOI

    Gabapentin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gabapentin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Tiredness reported in 6.9% of FDA reports for Gabapentin Additional detail

    Chiropractic

    “Upper spinal manipulation has also been linked to at least 14 reports of ophthalmologic adverse effects. These include loss of vision, diplopia, Horner's syndrome, ophthalmoplegia, and others. In many of these cases, the cause of the adverse outcome was cervical artery wall dissection due to chiropractic manipulation.”

    Chiropractic · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    3 sources cited
    1. 15962. Ernst E. Ophthalmological adverse effects of (chiropractic) upper spinal manipulation: evidence from recent case reports. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2005;83:581-5. PubMed
    2. 15969. Rubinstein SM, Leboeuf-Yde C, Knol DL, et al. The benefits outweigh the risks for patients undergoing chiropractic care for neck pain: a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2007;30:408-18. PubMed
    3. 101498. Regan KA, Youn TS, Iyer SSR. Ophthalmic artery occlusion after chiropractic neck manipulation. Acta Ophthalmol. 2018 Aug;96(5):e663-e664. available. PubMed

    Gabapentin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gabapentin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness / Nausea reported in 6.3% of FDA reports for Gabapentin Additional detail

    Chiropractic

    “After chiropractic treatment for neck pain: ringing in the ears, tiredness, nausea, or dizziness occur in less than 8% of patients. Radiating pain and headache occur infrequently. In one case report, a 36-year-old female reported to the emergency room with severe postural headaches.”

    Chiropractic · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    6 sources cited
    1. 15960. Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Vassilaki M, Chiang LM. Frequency and clinical predictors of adverse reactions to chiropractic care in the UCLA neck pain study. Spine 2005;30:1477-84. PubMed
    2. 15968. Vohra S, Johnston BC, Cramer K, Humphreys K. Adverse events associated with pediatric spinal manipulation: a systematic review. Pediatrics 2007;119:e275-83. PubMed
    3. 15969. Rubinstein SM, Leboeuf-Yde C, Knol DL, et al. The benefits outweigh the risks for patients undergoing chiropractic care for neck pain: a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2007;30:408-18. PubMed
    4. 98267. Lin SF, Weng HY. Postural headaches due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage through subarachnoid-pleural fistula: a case report. Headache 2017;57(3):467-71. PubMed
    5. 15967. Whedon JM, Quebada PB, Roberts DW, Radwan TA. Spinal epidural hematoma after spinal manipulative therapy in a patient undergoing anticoagulant therapy: a case report. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2006;29:582-5. PubMed
    6. 15970. Klougart N, Leboeuf-Yde C, Rasmussen LR. Safety in chiropractic practice, part I: The occurrence of cerebrovascular accidents after manipulation to the neck in Denmark from 1978-1988. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996;19:371-7.

    Gabapentin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gabapentin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Headache reported in 5.0% of FDA reports for Gabapentin Additional detail

    Chiropractic

    Recorded for Chiropractic in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Tiredness above.

    Gabapentin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gabapentin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Chiropractic but not commonly for Gabapentin: ringing in the ears, a stroke or mini-stroke, loss of vision and low blood pressure.

Effects for Gabapentin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Chiropractic come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 361,481 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Gabapentin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Chiropractic in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Safe

When used appropriately, short-term. Chiropractic treatment has been administered during pregnancy with apparent safety for up to 10 weeks.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Gabapentin Is Prescribed For, and What Chiropractic Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Gabapentin is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Chiropractic is a treatment: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Gabapentin is prescribed for: Gabapentin (brands include Neurontin, Relgaabi, Gabarone, Gralise, and Horizant) is primarily used to manage postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) — the nerve pain that lingers after a shingles outbreak — in adults. Neurontin, Relgaabi, Gabarone, and gabapentin capsules, tablets, and oral solution are also used as add-on therapy for partial onset seizures (a type of epilepsy) in adults and children aged 3 and older. Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil extended-release tablet) has two specific approvals: treatment of moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) in adults, and management of postherpetic neuralgia in adults. Horizant is not recommended for people who need to sleep during the day and stay awake at night.

Read the rest of what Gabapentin is prescribed for

Gralise is approved only for postherpetic neuralgia and cannot be substituted for other gabapentin products due to its different release profile.

Chiropractic has been studied for:

  • Epilepsy studied, not established Chiropractic has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Chiropractic for epilepsy

    Although there has been interest in using chiropractic manipulation for epilepsy, there is insufficient reliable evidence about the clinical effects of chiropractic manipulation for this purpose.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Gabapentin on your own; if you are taking Chiropractic for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Chiropractic or Gabapentin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Chiropractic or Gabapentin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Gabapentin

This page covers Chiropractic only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gabapentin page lists 106 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 82 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Gabapentin page

“Gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise) calms overactive nerves, which means it already slows your nervous system down, and that is exactly what 78 of the 106 supplements on this list also do. So the dominant risk here is sedation stacked on sedation, extra drowsiness at best and dangerously slowed breathing at worst, and with seven entries ra…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Gabapentin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Chiropractic and Gabapentin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Chiropractic
Steady interest

#1,438 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Gabapentin
Top 5%

#42 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Chiropractic reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Chiropractic and Gabapentin records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Treatment approach

About Chiropractic

What is Chiropractic?

  • Low back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Tension and certain headaches
  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Posture and mobility concerns

Chiropractic is a licensed health profession that treats muscle and joint problems mostly through hands-on spinal manipulation, not a dietary supplement or herb. There is reasonable evidence it can help short-term low back pain and neck pain in many people, but it is not a cure-all, and you should see a qualified provider and rule out serious causes of pain first.

Not applicable (Chiropractic is a hands-on health profession, not a plant or supplement) · In-person treatment, including spinal manipulation (adjustments), mobilization, soft-tissue therapy, and exercise advice

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Chiropractic is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Chiropractic record says about it on its own.

Chiropractic: dosing

There is no "dose" for chiropractic the way there is for a supplement. Instead, a chiropractor recommends a treatment plan — how many visits, how often, and which techniques — based on your condition.A common approach for back or neck pain is a short series of visits with a planned re-check; if you are not improving after a few weeks, the plan should be reconsidered. Be cautious of providers who recommend long, open-ended packages of frequent visits without clear goals.

From our Chiropractic monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Chiropractic monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Gabapentin

What Is Gabapentin Used For?

Brand names: Neurontin, Gralise

Gabapentin (brands include Neurontin, Relgaabi, Gabarone, Gralise, and Horizant) is primarily used to manage postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) — the nerve pain that lingers after a shingles outbreak — in adults. Neurontin, Relgaabi, Gabarone, and gabapentin capsules, tablets, and oral solution are also used as add-on therapy for partial onset seizures (a type of epilepsy) in adults and children aged 3 and older.

Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil extended-release tablet) has two specific approvals: treatment of moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) in adults, and management of postherpetic neuralgia in adults. Horizant is not recommended for people who need to sleep during the day and stay awake at night. Gralise is approved only for postherpetic neuralgia and cannot be substituted for other gabapentin products due to its different release profile.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Gabapentin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (361,481 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 24,972 reports
Nausea 22,728 reports
Diarrhea 18,114 reports
Headache 17,897 reports
Dizziness 16,238 reports
See full Gabapentin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chiropractic

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Chiropractic — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
2Moderate
0Minor
2,827No known interaction
Moderate

2 interactions

No interaction 2,827 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Chiropractic References

The 19 references that drive our Chiropractic monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Meeker WC, Haldeman S. Chiropractic: A profession at the crossroads of mainstream and alternative medicine. Ann Intern Med 2002;136:216-27. PubMed
  2. Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Vassilaki M, Chiang LM. Frequency and clinical predictors of adverse reactions to chiropractic care in the UCLA neck pain study. Spine 2005;30:1477-84. PubMed
  3. Ernst E. Ophthalmological adverse effects of (chiropractic) upper spinal manipulation: evidence from recent case reports. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2005;83:581-5. PubMed
  4. Reuter U, Hämling M, Kavuk I, et al. Vertebral artery dissections after chiropractic neck manipulation in Germany over three years. J Neurol 2006;253:724-30. PubMed
  5. Whedon JM, Quebada PB, Roberts DW, Radwan TA. Spinal epidural hematoma after spinal manipulative therapy in a patient undergoing anticoagulant therapy: a case report. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2006;29:582-5. PubMed
  6. Vohra S, Johnston BC, Cramer K, Humphreys K. Adverse events associated with pediatric spinal manipulation: a systematic review. Pediatrics 2007;119:e275-83. PubMed
  7. Rubinstein SM, Leboeuf-Yde C, Knol DL, et al. The benefits outweigh the risks for patients undergoing chiropractic care for neck pain: a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2007;30:408-18. PubMed
  8. Klougart N, Leboeuf-Yde C, Rasmussen LR. Safety in chiropractic practice, part I: The occurrence of cerebrovascular accidents after manipulation to the neck in Denmark from 1978-1988. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996;19:371-7.
  9. Hurwitz EL, Aker PD, Adams AH, et al. Manipulation and mobilization of the cervical spine. A systematic review of the literature. Spine 1996;21:1746-59. PubMed
  10. Dvorak J, Orelli F. How dangerous is manipulation of the cervical spine: case report and results of a survey. Manual Medicine 1985;2:1-4.
  11. Sozio MS, Cave M. Boerhaave's syndrome following chiropractic manipulation. Am Surg 2008;74:428-9. DOI
  12. Church EW, Sieg EP, Zalatimo O, et al. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Chiropractic Care and Cervical Artery Dissection: No Evidence for Causation. Cureus. 2016 Feb 16;8(2):e498. PubMed
  13. Gausel AM, Kjærmann I, Malmqvist S, et al. Chiropractic management of dominating one-sided pelvic girdle pain in pregnant women; a randomized controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2017;17(1):331. PubMed
  14. Lin SF, Weng HY. Postural headaches due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage through subarachnoid-pleural fistula: a case report. Headache 2017;57(3):467-71. PubMed
  15. Regan KA, Youn TS, Iyer SSR. Ophthalmic artery occlusion after chiropractic neck manipulation. Acta Ophthalmol. 2018 Aug;96(5):e663-e664. available. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Having Chiropractic While Taking Gabapentin: Common Questions

Is it safe to have Chiropractic while taking Gabapentin?
We do not list a known interaction between Chiropractic and Gabapentin. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Chiropractic and Gabapentin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 6 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Chiropractic and Gabapentin used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Chiropractic in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Gabapentin is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Chiropractic and Gabapentin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Gabapentin is filed under 4 classifications, and Chiropractic has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Gabapentin's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Chiropractic interact with any other medications?
Yes. Chiropractic has 2 documented drug interactions in our database — Gabapentin is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Gabapentin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Gabapentin has documented interactions with 106 supplements in our database — Chiropractic is not one of them. The Gabapentin interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Gabapentin and Chiropractic?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.