Chiropractic
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic is the fastest-growing and
second-largest primary health care profession.
There are approximately 60,000 doctors of chiropractic (DCs) in
active practice in the United States spread from rural areas to inner cities.
More than 10,000 students are currently enrolled in chiropractic educational
programs accredited by a federally-recognized body (CCE).
Chiropractic services are in high demand.
Tens of millions of Americans routinely opt for chiropractic services
and this number is rapidly growing. In 1993, more than 30 million consumers made
chiropractic a regular part of their health care program.
Doctors of Chiropractic receive extensive, demanding professional education on par with medical doctors (MDs) and osteopaths (DOs).
To receive the doctor of chiropractic degree, candidates must complete extensive
undergraduate prerequisites and four years of graduate-level instruction and
internship at an accredited chiropractic institution. Comprehensive knowledge of
all systems of the body and diagnostic procedures enable the DC to thoroughly
evaluate a patient, address disorders relating to the spine and determine the
need for referral to another health care provider.
Doctors of Chiropractic are primary health care providers.
According to the Center for Studies in Health Policy, "The DC can provide
all three levels of primary care interventions and therefore is a primary care
provider, as are MDs and DOs. The doctor of chiropractic is a gatekeeper to the
health care system and an independent practitioner who provides primary care
services. The DC's office is a direct access portal of entry to the full scope
of service."
Doctors of Chiropractic are licensed in all 50 states.
DCs have been licensed and recognized for many decades in all states, the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Chiropractic is recognized by governmental health care programs.
Chiropractic is included in Medicare, Medicaid, Federal Employees Health Care
Benefits Programs, Federal Workers' Compensation and all state workers'
compensation programs. Chiropractic students are qualified to receive federal
student loan assistance and DCs are authorized to be commissioned as health care
officers in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The practice of chiropractic is based on sound scientific principles.
The existence of the nervous system as the primary control mechanism of the body
is an undisputed scientific fact. Its relationship with the spine is the focus
of the practice of chiropractic. The spine develops in utero to provide two
primary functions: (1) allow for freedom of movement and (2) house and protect
the spinal cord. When the vertebrae of the spine become misaligned through
trauma or repetitive injury, two major consequences will result: (1) the range
of motion becomes limited and (2) spinal nerves emerging from the spinal cord
are compromised. DCs use the term "subluxation" to describe such
disruptions. Interruption of nerve flow can eventually lead to pain, disability,
and an overall decrease in the quality of life. Conversely, the removal of that
interference has been shown to have significant, lasting health benefits.
Through the adjustment of the subluxation, the doctor of chiropractic endeavors
to restore normal nerve expression. The body is then able to respond
appropriately to any imbalance in the system, thus relieving symptoms and
restoring health.
Doctors of chiropractic provide effective, low-cost health care for a wide range of conditions.
Studies conducted according to the highest scientific standards and published by
organizations not affiliated in any way with chiropractic institutions or
associations continue to show the clinical appropriateness and effectiveness of
chiropractic care. One of the most recent, funded by the Ontario Ministry of
Health, stated emphatically that:
"On the evidence, particularly the most scientifically valid
clinical studies, spinal manipulation applied by chiropractors is shown to be
more effective than alternative treatments for low back pain...There would be
highly significant cost savings if more management of low back pain was
transferred from physician to chiropractors."
The doctor of chiropractic is an effective source of preventative and wellness care.
The anatomical focus of the DC on the human spine has created the perception of
the DC as just a "back doctor." Although this perception is not
entirely incorrect, it is very much incomplete. Doctors of chiropractic are a
highly appropriate resource in matters of work-place safety, stress management,
injury prevention, postural correction and nutritional counseling."
The process of chiropractic adjustment is a safe, efficient procedure which is performed nearly one million times every working day in the United States.
There is a singular lack of actuarial data that would justify concluding that
chiropractic care is in any way harmful or dangerous. Chiropractic care is
non-invasive, therefore, the body's response to chiropractic care is far more
predictable than its reactions to drug treatments or surgical procedures. Of the
nearly one million adjustments given every day in this country, complications
are exceedingly rare. Perhaps the best summary statement on the subject of
safety was published in 1979 by the Government of New Zealand which established
a special commission to study chiropractic. They found:
"The conspicuous lack of evidence that chiropractors cause harm
or allow harm to occur through neglect of medical referral can be taken to mean
only one thing: that chiropractors have on the whole an impressive safety
record."
Chiropractic Professional Populations as Compared to General Populations in Selected States
The population of doctors of chiropractic in active
practice in the United States is reliably estimated to be 53,000. The
ratio of DCs to the general population, based on the Bureau of the Census
figures is estimated to be one doctor of chiropractic for every 5,100 citizens.
This compared dramatically to the ratio of medical providers to the general
population as there are well over ten times more MDs than DCs. Thus the MD
to general population ratio is approximately one to every 430 citizens.
On a state by state basis, the distribution of doctors of
chiropractic varies somewhat. Following are figures of DCs compared to the
general population for selected states.
The statistics regarding the number of doctors of
chiropractic in active practices in each state are based on the 1999 data on
'resident licenses' as published by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing
Boards.
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