Climbing Accident and Chiropractic Visit Cause Strokes for Missouri Mom

In November 2025, a 30-year-old Missouri woman named Haley Schoen revealed how her life was dramatically altered after an indoor climbing incident and a subsequent chiropractic visit. In January 2019, Schoen was climbing at an indoor gym when she jumped from about 15 feet down to the crash mats, something she had done many times before. Upon landing, she felt a "pinched nerve" in her neck, but brushed it off.

A few days later, Schoen's coworker noticed she was "walking crooked," and she had begun experiencing numbness in one of her toes. Seeking relief, Schoen visited a chiropractor, who performed several neck manipulations. During the third one, Schoen felt an intense rush of pressure and warmth at the base of her skull - warning signs of a torn artery and impending stroke.

Later that week, Schoen suddenly became emotional and disoriented at home, and went to the hospital, where imaging revealed a bilateral vertebral artery dissection. Doctors told her the injuries had already led to four strokes since the climbing incident and chiropractic visit, and she suffered a fifth while in the hospital. The combined injuries disrupted blood flow and triggered strokes on both sides of her brain.

Schoen spent a week in the hospital, relearning how to walk while being monitored around the clock. Once discharged, she had to give herself daily blood-thinner injections for three months. The ordeal left her traumatized, as she went from a fast-paced, glamorous life in California to suddenly struggling with basic tasks. Schoen lost her home and job, ultimately relocating to Missouri to restart her life.