What Do Chiropractors Do In Treating Patients?
If you become a chiropractic patient, during your initial visit the chiropractor will take your health history. He will perform a physical examination, with special emphasis on the spine, and possibly other examinations or tests such as x-rays. If he determines that you are an appropriate candidate for chiropractic therapy, he will develop a treatment plan.
When the chiropractor treats you, he may perform one or more adjustments. An adjustment (also called a manipulation treatment) is a manual therapy, or therapy delivered by the hands. Given mainly to the spine, chiropractic adjustments involve applying a controlled, sudden force to a joint. They are done to increase the range and quality of motion in the area being treated. Other health care professionals also perform various types of manipulation, including:
- physical therapists
- sports medicine doctors
- orthopedists (Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) who is a surgeon specializing in disorders of the musculoskeletal system)
- physical medicine specialists
- doctors of osteopathic medicine
- doctors of naturopathic medicine (an alternative medical system, also known as naturopathy, in which practitioners work with natural healing forces within the body, with a goal of helping the body heal from disease and attain better health)
- massage therapists
In the United States, chiropractors perform over 90 percent of manipulative treatments.
It is important to inform all of your health care providers about any treatment that you are using or considering, including chiropractic. This will help each provider make sure that all aspects of your health care are working together.
Most chiropractors use other treatments in addition to adjustment, such as:
- mobilization (a technique in which a joint is passively moved within its normal range of motion)
- massage therapy
- heat and ice
- ultrasound
- electrical stimulation
- rehabilitative exercise
- magnetic therapy
- counseling about diet, weight loss, and other lifestyle factors
- dietary supplements
- homeopathy
- acupuncture
What Kind Of Training Do Chiropractors Receive?
Chiropractic training is a 4-year academic program consisting of both classroom and clinical instruction. At least 3 years of preparatory college work are required for admission to chiropractic schools. Students who graduate receive the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) and are eligible to take state licensure board examinations in order to practice. Some schools also offer postgraduate courses, including 2- to 3-year residency programs in specialized fields.
Chiropractic training typically includes:
- Coursework in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry, pathology, nutrition, public health, and many other subjects
- The principles and practice of chiropractic
- Research methods and procedures
- Direct experience in caring for patients
The Council on Chiropractic Education, an agency certified by the U.S. Department of Education, is the accrediting body for chiropractic colleges in the United States.
Does The Government Regulate Chiropractic?
Chiropractic practice is regulated individually by each state and the District of Columbia. Most states require chiropractors to earn continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. Chiropractors' scope of practice varies by state--including with regard to laboratory tests or diagnostic procedures, the dispensing or selling of dietary supplements, and the use of other CAM therapies such as acupuncture or homeopathy. Chiropractors are not licensed in any state to perform major surgery or prescribe drugs.
Do Health Insurance Plans Pay For Chiropractic Treatment?
Compared with CAM therapies as a whole (few of which are reimbursed), coverage of chiropractic by insurance plans is extensive. As of 2002, more than 50 percent of health maintenance organizations (HMOs), more than 75 percent of private health care plans, and all state workers' compensation systems covered chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors can bill Medicare, and over two dozen states cover chiropractic treatment under Medicaid.
If you have health insurance, check whether chiropractic care is covered before you seek treatment. Your plan may require care to be approved in advance, limit the number of visits covered, and/or require that you use chiropractors within its network (you can read more in the NCCAM fact sheet "Consumer Financial Issues in Complementary and Alternative Medicine").
