About Chiropractic

The new healing art of chiropractic was born on September 18, 1895 in Davenport, Iowa. At that time Daniel David Palmer, a magnetic healer, "racked" the bones of Harvey Lillard’s upper back to relieve nerve pressure and found his patient’s hearing restored. The news quickly spread about this miraculous cure and Palmer found himself attending to many with varied disorders. While he was unable to duplicate the "cure" he did notice many other conditions afflicting his patients would clear up. With further study and clinical observations, Palmer formulated his theory for the cause of all disease. He suggested that as the vertebrae (spinal bones) become displaced (subluxated) they will impinge upon the nerve which exits between the vertebrae and reduce nerve energy flow to the tissues associated with the affected nerve. Thus, the tissue becomes diseased and the person ill. From these early days the profession has progressed to a scientifically based health care discipline applying natural methods of health restoration to persons of all ages. Today the benefits of chiropractic is well documented for many neuromusculoskeletal related conditions such as headache, whiplash associated disorders, spinal pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and lower back pain.

Census

Chiropractic is now the third largest primary health care profession in the western world, after medicine and dentistry. There are approximately 50,000 chiropractors in the United States, 10,000 in Japan, 5,000 in Canada, 2,500 in Australia, 1,000 in the United Kingdom and 100-500 each in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, South Africa and The Netherlands. The profession is established, though in smaller numbers, in other European countries, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.

Naturally Based

The profession has always presented itself as a natural based and conservative health care discipline, offering a primary step in health care either before, after or in conjunction with medication and surgery. Accordingly chiropractic makes no use of drugs or surgery and, unlike osteopathy in the United States, has no aspirations to do so. Medical reservations on this point are quickly put to rest upon first-hand experience of chiropractic doctors and offices.

The main focus of chiropractic practice is the relationship between the function of joints, muscles and the nervous system (neuromusculoskeletal disorders) and the effects of these disorders on health. The spine is of central importance.

The principle treatment is joint adjustment or manipulation. Management also includes the use of physiologic therapeutics, exercise programs, nutritional counseling, patient education, activities of daily living, industrial consulting, lifestyle modification, and the use of braces, supports and orthotics. There is also an emphasis on health promotion and early return to activities for injured patients. The focus on education and patient empowerment, as research now shows, is an important factor in the success of chiropractic management and the high level of patient satisfaction reported.

Law

The practice of chiropractic is now recognized in all world regions. Regulation by legislation exists, for example, in Canada and the United states (North America), Mexico, Panama and Venezuela (Latin America), Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK (Europe), Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand, (Asia/Pacific), Cyprus, Jordan and Saudi Arabia (Eastern Mediterranean) and Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe (Africa). In many other countries where the profession is established, practice is recognized and legal under general law. Common features in all jurisdictions are: primary care (direct contact with the patient and responsibility to diagnose), and the right, competence and duty to diagnose, including the right to use diagnostic x-ray laboratory and other diagnostic procedures.

Education

Common international standards of education have been achieved through a network of accrediting agencies that began with the US Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) recognized by the US Office of Education since 1974.

Entrance requirements vary according to country, but are a minimum of three years university credits in qualifying subjects in North America. The chiropractic college program has a minimum of 4 full-time academic years and is followed by postgraduate clinical training and/or licensing exams in many countries. Postgraduate specialties include chiropractic sciences, family practice, neurology, nutrition, orthopedics, pediatrics, radiology, rehabilitation and sports medicine.

In former times most chiropractors graduated from North American Colleges. There are now colleges in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa as well as the United States. Depending upon the country chiropractic education is either within the University System (e.g. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, South Africa and the United States) or in private colleges (e.g. France, Japan and the United States).

Government inquiries and independent investigations by medical practitioners have affirmed that today’s chiropractic undergraduate training is of equivalent standard to medical training in all preclinical subjects. The most exhaustive two year government study concerning the profession found the training of the chiropractic doctor equivalent and possibly better for diagnosis at the general practitioner level. When it comes to conditions that are of biomechanical origin or contributing factor, the chiropractic doctor possesses a distinct knowledge and treatment acumen in comparison to other providers. On contemporary faculties, chiropractic doctors are joined by appropriate basic science and medical specialists, thus offering the chiropractic student a well grounded and challenging educational experience.

© 1997Chapman-Smith, David, The Chiropractic Profession, The Chiropractic Report (March 1997), Vol. 11, No. 2.

Post-Graduate Specialization

As with the discipline of medicine and osteopathy, the chiropractic doctor may pursue specialized training in various areas for health care. The specialties are established, governed and regulated by specialty colleges and/or specialty boards which are recognized by the American Chiropractic Association or International Chiropractors Association. The training may last for 1 year for certificate level recognition to typically a three year program for diplomate status. Further study is available for fellowship status as well. The following is a list of recognized chiropractic specialty boards:

Chiropractic Sciences
Neurology
Pediatrics
Family Practice
Nutrition
Radiology
Orthopedics
Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness
Industrial And Occupational Health