Patient hospitalized after chiropractic care: What happened to the chiropractor?
Key Takeaways
Industry Insight
“One of the most serious injuries that may result from chiropractic manipulation is cervical arterial dissection,” Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, a spinal surgeon and head of The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care
Gabriel Golla was admitted to the hospital hours after being treated by chiropractor Allan Novak Jr.. He received a diagnosis of vertebral artery dissection. Artery dissection is a rare, but known, compilation of chiropractic spinal manipulation.
Chiropractor Allan Novak Jr., the former owner and operator of the Chirocare East chiropractic clinic in Cedar Rapids, IA, has agreed to surrender his license.[]
Related: 'Chiropractors are actually giving me more work': Doctors sound off on chiropractic care—who does it really hurt or help?How the case unfolded
The state board alleges that, in 2022, it learned of an insurance payout as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit involving care provided by Novak. The case was brought by Gabriel Golla, who was treated by Novak in late 2018.
Allegedly, Novak’s manipulation of Golla’s spine led to injury that required admission to the hospital only a few hours later. Golla was diagnosed with a vertebral artery dissection, a rare, but known, complication of chiropractic spinal manipulation.
Information recently released to the public revealed that Novak’s license expired in 2022. In 2024, the Iowa Board of Chiropractic charged Novak with allegedly failing to cooperate with board staff during an investigation as well as failing to notify the board within 30 days of a court judgement or settlement of a malpractice claim. While Novak’s license expired two years before the board issued any charges in this case, loss of licensure is one of multiple possible penalties that can be enforced for failing to comply with these regulations.
The injury and settlement
“One of the most serious injuries that may result from chiropractic manipulation is cervical arterial dissection,” Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, a spinal surgeon and head of The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care, tells MDLinx.
Medical records show that Golla presented to the hospital with multiple acute infarcts. In 2022, he sued Novak and his clinic.
The lawsuit was reportedly dismissed prior to trial without public record of any settlement. When notified about a settlement payout linked to the case, the Iowa Board of Chiropractic contacted Novak to request information about the case and his interactions with Golla. Novak allegedly failed to provide the requested information.
The Iowa Board of Chiropractic held a hearing on the charges against Novak in July 2024.[] In January 2025, Novak surrendered his license.[] His former practice is now listed as “permanently closed."