I know some of you are sitting here thinking is a Chiropractor a real doctor? The answer here is yes! They are doctors, they are just a different kind of doctor! I have personally been to the chiropractors once in my life, and it was the best experience of my life, they are so good at what they do! They are the most gentle but rough people you will ever have the chance to meet, this is because if they make one wrong move they could seriously hurt you. I personally think they are doctors, they have to go through all these medical things just to get the degree!
Did you know, there are about 95,000 doctors of chiropractic in active practice across the globe, and about 10,000 students are currently enrolled in chiropractic education programs in the United States alone. Did you also know Unbeknownst to quite a few, infants can benefit greatly from chiropractic care. It makes sense—birth can be pretty hard on a little body! The adjustment is adapted to suit their needs and is perfectly safe. Most people think the Amish may reject many of the modern "conveniences" many of us enjoy, but there is no denying that they have somewhat of a reputation for embracing a robust, natural approach to maintaining good health – an approach that is quite similar to wellness. It's no surprise that this has lead to an acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine in the Amish community. A few years ago, the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine conducted a survey of Amish women concerning their use of CAM and reported that thirty-six percent used nutritional supplements, herbal therapies, and chiropractic medicine.
The word 'chiropractic' comes from the Greek words cheir (meaning 'hand') and praktos (meaning 'done'), i.e. Done by Hand. The name was chosen by the developer of chiropractic, Daniel David Palmer.A prolific reader of all things scientific, DD Palmer realized that although various forms of manipulation had been used for hundreds if not thousands of years, no one had developed a philosophical or scientific rationale to explain their effects. Palmer's major contribution to the health field was therefore the codification of the philosophy, art and science of chiropractic which was based on his extensive study of anatomy and physiology. From that first adjustment, DD Palmer continued to develop chiropractic and in 1897 established the Palmer School of Cure, now known as the Palmer College of Chiropractic, in Davenport, Iowa, where it remains today. Following the first adjustment, many people became interested in Palmer's new science and healing art. Among his early students were Palmer's son, Bartlett Joshua (BJ), as well as members of the older healing arts of medicine and osteopathy. The first state law licensing chiropractors was passed in 1913, and by 1931, 39 states had given chiropractors legal recognition.
So, say you're playing sports or doing heavy lifting around the house and hurt your back. You feel like it's probably nothing serious but everyday continues to hurt, so you go see a chiropractor to help with the pain. There's specific things you go see a doctor over a chiropractor. What's really the difference between these two terms?
When some people think of real doctors they start thinking of doctors like in Grey's Anatomy the tv show. You think of the doctors you go see for check ups, physicals, or if you're just not feeling right. Nobody thinks of a doctor to help with back pain or the nervous system. A chiropractor focuses on diagnosis and treatment based on the nervous system and muscles. A doctor has many different views, there's a DO which is a type of doctor that can practice in all areas of medicine and a MD which is a type of doctor that uses drugs and surgery to help patients. Nobody thinks of a chiropractor simply because they just aren't the same as 'real doctors". When thinking of a "real doctor" you think that the amount of salary that doctors make believing that they could afford anything, they must have the training of years and experience based on their degree, and the types of treatment they do involving medication or surgeries.
My first criterion for "real doctors" is that the salary is completely different. When thinking of doctors you think of someone who went through years of school and training to make an amazing pay. The average pay for a chiropractor is $60,594 per year, whereas a typical physician doctor is $196,621. There is a big difference between the two paying jobs and even with experience both continue to grow and rise throughout the years. Many people can say that not all doctors have to make a large salary to be able to help someone feel better. Salary doesn't have to be a big part of being a doctor, there's many things doctors do that chiropractors don't. But the salary is a part of being a real doctor because the years of training that they had to go through is extensive.
The salary for "real doctors" is a large amount as discussed about in the first criterion. Another criterion for "real doctors" is the training. All doctors get medical degrees; which takes years of schooling and training to get and chiropractors have the medical degree but not for medicine. Their degree is strictly based on chiropractics therefore not medical doctors. Even though they do have high quality training and are licensed in that practice, it isn't the same as a medical degree. As stated in a newsletter "Chiropractors begin their education by getting an undergraduate degree with a focus in the sciences. After graduation, they move on to a four-year chiropractic program with both classes and hands-on experience. All states in the United States require that chiropractors obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from a Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) accredited college." Even with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, it's not the same as a medical degree. Even though, the training is so different, chiropractors do still get medical degrees because chiropractics is in the medical field, they just can't prescribe drugs or diagnose.
There's many different types of people who can help with injuries, but doctors are the only ones who can properly diagnose and treat the patients with prescriptions or surgery if needed, chiropractors can not simply do that based on their type of degree and training. So how is that so much different than a medical doctor? How does the trainings become such an important part of being a doctor? The trainings are much different and a chiropractor doesn't have to go into the pre-med program and do extensive amounts of school, internships, and residency then a fellowship. Being a "real doctor" takes a minimum of ten years of schooling, for chiropractors; it takes eight.
With trainings brings me to my final criterion. That is the treatment that chiropractors do is not medical. Chiropractors focus on muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage, and the nervous system. They help pain in the neck, back, pelvic, shoulder/arm, and hip/leg. This can be seen as being a "doctor" because it focuses on specific parts of the body. But, when dealing with these pains, chiropractors can't prescribe any medications; which is typically what you expect doctors to be able to do. You go see a doctor for pain and they examine you and prescribe medications if needed. Chiropractors can't prescribe anything when you go and see them. Really chiropractors just examine the body, where as medical doctors they examine the body and do treatments. Chiropractors also do a treatment but it's not the same as doctors. When getting treated by a chiropractor, they use many different techniques. According to diffen.com, "they often manipulate the spine and other joints during these treatments, under the notion that doing so will relieve pain and perhaps even have curative effects. Exercises, relaxation techniques, dietary regimens, electrical stimulation, and sometimes acupuncture are also common kinds of treatment prescribed or carried out by chiropractors." Where as doctors can be an expert in a specific area and treatments can depend on the disease, sickness, or breakage that has happened.
But, many doctors have different ways of treating someone. Many years ago, the Jivaro used Shamans, which people went to see and the did "magic" to heal the people. Now people go to doctors, get prescribed the medications they need and go to the drug store to pick up the prescription. Some people go to physical therapy to help with a sports injury or work injury. So why can't chiropractors be a "real doctor"? Well physical therapists are just helping an injury, most likely the person injured went to the doctor first and they sent the information and patient to the physical therapist best to help. But, the doctor was first seen and checked the patient and did a physical treatment on them to diagnose what was wrong and get the patient they help they needed. "Real doctors" can help with the treatment of drugs or surgery, chiropractors can't.
Based on the criterion stated, chiropractors aren't "real doctors". They do help with back or muscle pain, but most people go to an actual doctor to see the issue first, whether it is something that they can just go see a chiropractor or if it really is something serious that a doctor may need to take care of. To be a "real doctor" you need the salary of one to show that you went through years of hard schooling, studying, training, and residency, you also need the degree which is all your years of schooling, internships, residency, and fellowship if needed, then finally you need medical treatment following with prescription drugs and surgeries if needed. Chiropractor's can help but not as best as a "real doctor" based on their salary to do what they do, the training and degree that they have, or even their treatment. Being a chiropractor and a "real doctor" is completely different in this day and age based on the new technologies that come out yearly.