Affiliations

About Chiropractic

Chiropractic is a natural, preventative, and non-invasive form of health care which is based on the principle that the body has the inherent ability to heal without the use of drugs or surgery.  This fundamental approach to wellness mirrors a new and changing attitude toward health care in the United States and around the world.

 

Since an individual's health is either directly or indirectly controlled by the nervous system, interference within this system impairs normal function and lowers resistance to disease.

 

Through chiropractic adjustments, nervous system interference due to abnormalities in the musculoskeletal relationships of the vertebrae (called subluxations) can be corrected. This allows the nervous system to function properly, enabling the body to self-regulate and self-heal through its own natural recuperative powers. For this reason, chiropractic can impact all health issues, not just back pain.

 

Chiropractors are highly skilled in the art of adjusting all the articulations of the body, thereby reducing or minimizing the effects of chronic or acute trauma and biomechanical instability. The adjustment is a gentle and specific maneuver which can be applied effectively and safely to people no matter their age.

 

Chiropractic is the nation's third largest primary health care profession, surpassed in numbers only by practitioners of medicine and dentistry. Over half of its ranks have graduated since 1977, and there are approximately 50,000 chiropractors in North America alone with many more throughout the world. Recent studies indicate that upwards of 15% of the U.S. population has consulted a chiropractor.

 

Chiropractic Education

Doctors of Chiropractic complete 4 years of undergraduate school and five years of graduate school. They are required to pass National and State board examinations to obtain licensure. Once licensed, continuing post-graduate education is required for annual license renewal.
This table compares professional graduate school educations for the Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) and the Medical Doctor (M.D.).


Comparison of Hours of Basic Sciences Education in Medical and Chiropractic Schools


Subject

Chiropractic Schools

Medical Schools

 

Hours

% of Total

Hours

% of Total

Anatomy

570

40

368

31

Biochemistry

150

11

120

10

Microbiology

120

8

120

10

Public Health

70

5

289

24

Physiology

305

21

142

12

Pathology

205

14

162

14

Total Hours

1,420

100

1,200

100



Comparisons of the Overall Curriculum Structure for Chiropractic and Medical Schools

 

Chiropractic Schools

Medical Schools

 

Mean

Percentage

Mean

Percentage

Basic science hours

1416

29%

1200

26%

Clinical science hours

3406

71%

3467

74%

Chiropractic science hours

1975

41%

0

0

Clerkship hours

1405

29%

3467

74%

Total Contact Hours

4822

100%

4667

100%



Source for both above charts: Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc., Washington, DC. Personal communication of 1995 unpublished data from Meredith Gonyea, PhD.



 

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