A chiropractor treats muscle problems often related to the spine.
A chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, meets patients with musculoskeletal problems, diagnoses the source of their pain, and treats the condition. Training requires a four years at a chiropractic college after two to four years of undergraduate studies. No certification is required. However, state license is mandatory for any chiropractor who wants to practice. Postdoctoral studies lead to specializations formalized with exams administered by chiropractic specialty boards that grant the "diplomate" status to the chiropractors.
Context
A chiropractor assesses the patient's overall health and provides treatments that leverage the body's own recovery abilities to restore function without surgical or medication intervention. A majority of chiropractors deal with spine problems. When the spine becomes misaligned, the nervous system experiences stress that lowers the patient's ability to combat diseases. Manipulating the spine can bring balance back to the patient's health system.
General Practice
This professional may conduct physical examination and study the patient's posture and spine. Additional information is collect with laboratory tests, x-rays, and neurological observations. Frequently the chiropractor asks questions about the environment, amount of rest, type of nutrition or amount of stress in the family. Treatment involves spine movements and recommendation of lifestyle changes that involve modification of nutrition, lowering stress techniques and physical exercise.
Specialties
Some chiropractors specialize in certain types of injuries or populations. For instance, specializations may include sports injuries, pediatric patients and orthopedics patients. Focusing on neurology-based conditions or combining the practice with diagnostic imaging offer additional venues of differentiation. Some practices add additional alternative treatments such as heat or water treatments or acupuncture and massage therapy.
Training
Chiropractors enter accredited four-year chiropractic colleges after two to four years of undergraduate education that must total at least 90 semester hours. The Council on Chiropractic Education approved 15 college programs in 2010. During the four years of study, the students must acquire at least 4,200 hours of classroom time, experimentation in the laboratory, and time spent in clinical work. Professors cover the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology. Science courses of microbiology and biochemistry join the education in the first two years. Then study of spine manipulation, neurology and orthopedics complemented with clinical experience fill the last two years.
Specialty Training
Postdoctoral programs, administered by chiropractic specialty boards and listed by the American Chiropractic Association, offer advanced studies of medicine, such a neurology, rehabilitation or radiology. Some of these address more detailed aspects of sport injuries or expand on nutrition. Specialization can also be gained in pediatrics or family practices. Upon graduation from a postdoctoral program, the chiropractor takes a specialty exam that leads to the title of "diplomate."
License
All chiropractors must acquire licenses from their states, most frequently by passing all or part of the four-part test from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE). Some states add additional exams. The license must be maintained by performing a certain number of continuing education hours.
Employment and Earnings
This profession represents about 49,100 individuals running solo practices, according to the 2008 estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Between 2008 and 2018, BLS foresees a 20 percent increase in these jobs fueled by a greater alternative health care awareness and the aging of the population. Professionals in this space earned a median salary of $94,454 in 2009 according to Chiropractic Economics magazine.
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