Spinecare Topics
The Doctor of Chiropractic
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 separate them from non-physician status providers, like physical therapists. According to the Council on Chiropractic Education DCs are trained as Primary care Providers.
Chiropractic Philosophy
As a profession, the primary belief is in natural and conservative methods of health care. Doctors of chiropractic have a deep respect for the human body's ability to heal itself without the use of surgery or medication. These doctors devote careful attention to the biomechanics, structure and function of the spine, its effects on the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, and the role played by the proper function of these systems in the preservation and restoration of health. A Doctor of Chiropractic is one who is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of public health, and a wellness approach to patient healthcare.
Advanced Training and Credentialing
Doctors of Chiropractic have an opportunity to obtain post-graduate training in various specialty areas such as neurology, radiology, orthopedics, and sports medicine. Many of these programs are two to three years in length and offer board certification. Doctors of chiropractic are eligible to apply for membership with the American Academy of Spine Physicians (AASP), a national organization comprised of chiropractic physicians and neurosurgeons dedicated to conservative and cooperative spine care. Chiropractic physicians and neurosurgeons are eligible to further their education towards Diplomate status with the American Academy of Spine Physicians (DAASP) or Fellow status with the American College of Spine Physicians (FACSP).
The doctor of chiropractic has experience and is well trained to be a highly effective source of preventative and wellness care. The chiropractic physician is not just a “back doctor,� although many focus on the specialty of spine care. Chiropractic physicians are well trained to evaluate and enhance human physical performance and have firm grounding in the sciences of biomechanics, neurology, non-surgical orthopedics and kinesiology.
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