Alternative methods for treatment are becoming popular among athletes and others who have serious back pain. The scope in the field of chiropractic therapy is increasing day by day due to this reason. Let’s have a quick look at the requirements and job description of chiropractors.
In order to work as chiropractor, all you need to have is a degree in chiropractic therapy. The requirements vary from one chiropractor school to the other. The main requirement to work as a chiropractor is that the student should have completed 90 credits hours of course work. Most of the chiropractors schools want you to have an average 2.5 grade point that qualifies him to get admission for chiropractors education program.
The four-year study program is specially designed for the students to train them up in chiropractic care of the sick patients. The students need to have a thorough understanding of the topic. Hence, in the first two-years the students are taught various subjects such as anatomy, physiology, cardiopulmonary systems as well as public health. In third and fourth-year of the study program, the students are subjected to various procedures so as to ensure hands on experience to develop their technical skills. A student will be possibly learning topics regarding practical instructions, spinal manipulation, and adjustment.
The students have to take up a national exam which is approved by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners on completion of the course. The examination chiefly consists of 3 parts. The first parts check the student’s knowledge in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pathology etc. The second part will test the student’s skills in areas such as general and neuromuscular diagnosis, diagnosing imaging, and principles of chiropractic. And the final third part of the exam consists of testing the student’s performance in nine clinical areas that include case history, physical examination, and different chiropractic techniques.
Chiropractors assist the patients with pain and other ailments. They make diagnoses and initiates treatment based on the principles of nervous system. These health workers are highly skilled in performing their duties to minimize the patient’s pain and suffering. They are taught several techniques so as to fix the misalignments of the spinal joints that have an adverse effect on the general health of a person. The misalignments in the spinal joints lead to problem such as lowering the patient’s resistance to diseases. For this reason, chiropractors are trained to manipulate the spinal column to have a healthier nervous system.
Not all chiropractors are the same in treating the patients. The International chiropractors Association consider that the patients should be treated by manipulation of the spine, while, the American Chiropractors Association believe in multidisciplinary approach which involves both spinal adjustment and other modalities like psychological counseling, physical therapy, and dietary measures. For many years, American Medical Association (AMA) opposed chiropractic approaches towards diseases because they considered it as one of the unscientific method of treatment of diseases. However, in the year 1972, the government amended the Medicare act to include the chiropractic approaches on medical treatment of the patients and it has found its place.
A chiropractor performs manipulations. If you believe in bacteria, microbes, and viruses as being causes of diseases (rather than spinal column irregularaties or some such), then chiropracty is not appropriate for a large class of problems. However, it is probably an appropriate *option* for muscle strains and back trouble (or neck trouble) of a variety of type. I treatments were occasionally slightly painful for me, but I was in pain when I started (or was in certain positions). Obviously, if I hadn’t had any complaints, I would not have gone. I got some help. I sort of went out of curiosity. I had been to rolfers before, and wanted to try something different. The “cracking” that the chirpractors do is rather unnerving, but didn’t hurt.
As per usual, your redirect to chiro base, does not work without manipulation, then you find it is our old friend Stephen Barrett, not a real chiropractor talking about chiropractic, but one of the worlds most famous anti everything natural or non medical society approved hate mongers. It is a bit reminicent of the old meeting of the national medical convention in which one of the national presidents said that it was better to die under orthodox medical care than to get well under alternative care. Doc, all docs are indeed docs when so licensed or degreed, and deserve to be called doctors, including DCs, NDs, PhDs , DOs, ODs, DPMs, and MDs and the list goes on.
Chiropractors will “treat” anything for which they can get paid. True story: my mother was seeing a chiropractor for a back problem. One day she called to to cancel her appointment. The receptionist asked why so she lied & said she had diarrhea. The receptionist said hold on a minute. After a few minutes she got back on the phone & said “The doctor says the manipulation will take care of that too.” I still laugh about that. I guess when they find that bone & shove it the right way we won’t need Kaopectate anymore. My mother eventually had back surgery, saw a physical therapist for a while afterwards and her back has been great ever since (about 5 years now). I read a front page article in the Wall Street Journal about three or four years ago that was about how aggressive chiropractors were getting in “practice development” – what we call “drumming up business” in the business world. The WSJ reported that many – not all but many – chiropractors were telling people they should have a chiropractor as their primary care physician. AND that their children don’t need immunizations, kids just need spinal manipulations. I had an aunt, about 70 years old that went to a chiropractor against her MD’s advice. The chiropractor broke three of her ribs during the treatment. Now I’m not trying to knock chiropractors. I think some of them probably recognize the limitations of what they can do. And they probably can give a very nice relaxing massage. BUT THEY ARE NOT medical doctors! Anyone with a medical condition should go to a physician, orthopedist, or physical therapist if they really want to get well.
A number of people have provided testimonials for the efficacy of their chiropractors, and I’d like to ask them what conditions they have which are being treated successfully by chiropractic, and what treatments are employed.
