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 in the US.
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.
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."
