Frequently Asked Questions

Is chiropractic treatment safe?

Chiropractic is the largest form of alternative health care in the nation widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects.

The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise.  Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

What education and training do chiropractors receive?

Doctors of chiropractic must complete four to five years at an accredited chiropractic college. The complete curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. Approximately 555 hours are devoted to learning about adjustive techniques and spinal analysis in colleges of chiropractic. In medical schools, training to become proficient in manipulation is generally not required of, or offered to, students. The Council on Chiropractic Education requires that students have 90 hours of undergraduate courses with science as the focus.

Those intending to become doctors of chiropractic must also pass the national board exam and all exams required by the state in which the individual wishes to practice. The individual must also meet all individual state licensing requirements in order to become a doctor of chiropractic.

An individual studying to become a doctor of chiropractic receives an education in both the basic and clinical sciences and in related health subjects. The intention of the basic chiropractic curriculum is to provide an in-depth understanding of the structure and function of the human body in health and disease. The educational program includes training in the basic medical sciences, including anatomy with human dissection, physiology, and biochemistry. Thorough training is also obtained in differential diagnosis, radiology and therapeutic techniques. This means, a doctor of chiropractic can both diagnose and treat patients, which separates them from non-physician status providers, like physical therapists. According to the Council on Chiropractic Education DCs are trained as Primary care Providers.

Although Chiropractors are not medical doctors, nor are they a subspecialty of the medical profession the education medical doctors and Chiropractors receive is comparable. Some aspects differ because Chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral Subluxations.

As you can see in the education comparison chart (below) the Chiropractic and medical education are quite comparable.

What is Chiropractic?

There's nothing mysterious about chiropractic. It's a natural method of health care that focuses on treating the causes of problems, rather than just covering up symptoms. Chiropractic is based on a simple but powerful premise. With a normally functioning spine and healthy nervous system, your body is better able to heal itself. That's because your spine is the lifeline of your nervous system. It controls feeling, movement, and all function through your body.

Chiropractic is often mistakenly thought of as just a treatment for back pain, neck pain or other types of pain. While it is true Chiropractors do see individuals suffering with such conditions, it is important to realize that Chiropractic has far more to offer than pain relief.

To understand what Chiropractic is, it is important to understand the principles Chiropractic is based on:

1. ❖The body is a self-healing and self-regulating organism. It is designed to heal itself.
   

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3. ❖The mechanism of healing is controlled by your body's complex communication system called the nervous system. If the nervous system remains free from interference, allowing it to communicate with every cell, tissue, and organ of the body, we experience optimal health.
   

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5. ❖  If there is interference with the nervous system, our body’s ability to heal itself is interrupted.
   

1. ❖  The mission of chiropractic is to remove the interference and restore health.

It is important for patients to understand the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain — prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) — as these treatments may carry risks significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation. According to a study from the American Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen.