Chiropractic Facts
Fact #1 – Chiropractors are real doctors.
Chiropractors earn a D.C. degree or Doctorate of Chiropractic from a chiropractic college. Chiropractors are licensed health care providers in every state and many countries around the world. Chiropractic and medical school curricula are extremely rigorous and virtually identical. As part of the education, chiropractic students have to complete an externship, working with real patients under the supervision of licensed doctors in a clinical setting. Chiropractors also have to complete a set of four board exams and depending on the state, a state exam in addition. Chiropractors also have to have a certain amount of continuing education every year. In Michigan chiropractors have to have 30 continuing education hours every 2 years.
Chiropractors are subject to the same procedures, licensing and monitoring by state and national peer-review boards as medical doctors. Federal and state programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Workers’ Compensation programs cover chiropractic care, and all federal agencies accept sick-leave notes signed by doctors of chiropractic. Chiropractors are also now commissioned as officers in the military.
The major difference between medical doctors and chiropractors isn’t the education, but in the preferred method of caring for people. Medical doctors are trained in the use of medicines (chemicals that affect your internal biochemistry) and surgery. Therefore, is you have a chemical problem, such as diabetes, thyroid issues, or an infection, medical doctors can be very helpful. However, if the problem is that your spine is mis-aligned or you have soft tissue damage causing pain, there is no chemical in existence that can fix your problem. You need a physical solution to your physical problem. That is where chiropractic really shines. Through adjustments, exercises, stretches and therapy chiropractors help the body heal from conditions that are physical in nature, such as back pain, muscle strain/sprain, headaches, muscle spasm and poor posture. Another major distinction is the fact that it is completely appropriate to recieve chiropractic care even if you do not have symptoms. Chiropractic care aligns the spine, allows the nerves to do their job uninhibited and the body to heal itself before symptoms develop.
Fact #2 – Once you start going to the chiropractor you don’t have to keep going for the rest of your life.
I hear this a lot. You don’t have to keep going to the chiropractor. It is always your choice to continue or discontinue care. If you are only interested in pain relief than you can stop once that goal is reached. However, if you are concerned about your overall health and the maintenance of your neuromusculoskeletal system and active lifestyle then I recommend that you make your visits to the chiropractor a regular routine, much like going to the dentist, exercising and eating a healthy diet. Regular care will produce healthy benefits.
Years ago dentists convinced everyone that the best time to go to the dentist is before your teeth hurt, that routine dental care will help your teeth remain healthy. The same is true of chiropractic. Remember that just like your teeth, your spine experiences normal wear and tear as you walk, drive, sit, lift, sleep and bend. Everyday activity is everyday wear and tear on your body. Regular chiropractic care can help you not only feel better, but move better and stay healthier throughout your life. The real benefits of chiropractic care become apparent when you make chiropractic part of your wellness lifestyle.
