|
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses
on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the
nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on
general health. Chiropractic care is used most often
to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including
but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the
joints of the arms or legs, and headaches. |
|
No, a patient does not need referral by an MD before
visiting a doctor of chiropractic. Chiropractors are
first contact practitioners, and are so defined in
federal and state regulations. Following a
consultation and examination, the doctor of
chiropractic will arrive at a diagnosis under
chiropractic care, or refer the patient to the
appropriate health care provider. |
|
Yes, chiropractic treatment is safe and effective.
While any form of health treatment contains a degree
of inherent risk, there is little danger in
chiropractic care when administered by a licensed
practitioner. To assure competency, all states
require that DC’s be board-qualified, licensed, and
regulated according to stringent criteria. Statistics
show that patient risk is substantially lower in
chiropractic as opposed to medical care, where the use
of prescription drugs and surgery pose a greater risk. |
|
Yes, children can benefit from chiropractic care.
Children are very physically active and experience
many types of falls and blows from activities of daily
living as well as from participating in sports.
Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms
including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness or
discomfort. Chiropractic care is always adapted to the
individual patient. It is a highly skilled treatment,
and in the case of children, very gentle. |
|
Chiropractors are being recognized to admit and treat
patients in hospitals and to use outpatient clinical
facilities (such as labs, x-rays, etc.) for their
non-hospitalized patients. Hospital privileges were
first granted in 1983. |
|
The majority of all insured American workers have
coverage for chiropractic services in their health
care plans. For example, the federal government’s
Office of Personnel Management offers chiropractic
coverage for federal employees in both the Mail
Handlers and BCBS benefit plans. In addition, there
is a chiropractic benefit in Federal Workers’
Compensation, and chiropractic care is available to
members of the armed forces at more than 40 military
bases, and is available at nearly 30 veterans’ medical
facilities. |
|
Chiropractors are educated as primary contact health
care practitioners, with an emphasis on
musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. Educational
requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the
most stringent of any of the health care professions.
The typical applicant at a chiropractic college has
already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical
undergraduate college education, including courses in
biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics,
psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an
accredited chiropractic college, the requirements
become even more demanding — four to five academic
years of professional study are the standard. Because
of the hands-on nature of chiropractic, and the
intricate adjusting techniques, a significant portion
of time is spent in clinical training.
In
total, the chiropractic curriculum includes a minimum
of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical
experience. The course of study is approved by an
accrediting agency that is fully recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. |
|
Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a manual
procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills
developed during the intensive years of chiropractic
education. The chiropractor typically uses his/her
hands to manipulate the joints of the body,
particularly the spine, in order to reduce pain, and
restore or enhance joint function. Chiropractic
manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that
rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the
procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient.
Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms
immediately following treatment. |
|
The hands-on nature of the chiropractic treatment is
essentially what requires patients to visit the
chiropractor a number of times. To be treated by a
chiropractor, a patient needs to be in his or her
office. In contrast, a course of treatment from
medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan
that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of
antibiotics once a day for a couple of weeks). A
chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and/or
preventive care thus making a certain number of visits
sometimes necessary. Your doctor of chiropractic
should tell you the extent of treatment recommended
and how long you can expect it to last. |
|
Adjustment of a joint may result in release of a gas
bubble between the joints that makes a popping sound –
it’s exactly the same as when you “crack” your
knuckles. The noise is caused by the change of
pressure within the joint that results in gas bubbles
being released. There is no pain involved. |
|
|
|
|
