Katie May and her daughter Mia

A Los Angeles County Coroner has determined that the sudden death of Playboy model Katie May was the result of a “neck manipulation by chiropractor.”

People is reporting on the sudden and tragic death of May, 34, who passed away in February days after suffering a stroke. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner is now saying that the stroke she suffered was the result of a chiropractic procedure described as a “blunt force injury” that tore her left vertebral artery. The tear blocked blood flow to May’s brain and caused the stroke.

Her official cause of death is now listed as “infarction of brain” and has been ruled accidental.

According to her family, on January 29, May tweeted that she had hurt her neck during a photo shoot.

“Pinched a nerve in my neck on a Photoshoot and got adjusted this morning. It really hurts! Any home remedy suggestions loves? XOXO,” she wrote.

Two days later, she followed up with a tweet saying she planned to return to the chiropractor for the injury but she died before that could happen.

It has been already known that hger family will pursue legal action against the chiropractor with help from the Injury Lawyers Philadelphia.

May is survived by a seven year-old daughter, Mia.

Although the risk of a stroke caused by a neck manipulation is small, it is enough that the American Heart Association advises all chiropractic patients to be aware of it.

This link provides numerous studies linking neck manipulation to stroke  as does this Facebook page.