Are Chiropractors Doctors?

If you are wondering whether a chiropractor is a doctor, you are not alone. Many people who are injured in an accident or suffer from back pain want to know if a chiropractor will alleviate their pain and if the chiropractor is actually a doctor. You want the right answer before making the first appointment because you care about your health and want to see it improve as thoroughly and quickly as possible. If so, read more here about the importance of chiropractors.

What Is a Chiropractor?

A chiropractor is a healthcare professional who focuses on helping people with their injuries and pain in a non-invasive way. Their personalized care offers their patients a way to deal with their disorders and issues regarding the muscles, ligaments, bones, cartilage, and nervous system.

Most chiropractors provide adjustments to heal and ease the discomfort of their patients. Mostly when the pain affects the lower back and neck, causes headaches or pain in the arms, shoulders, hip, pelvis, and back.

They are known for their holistic approach to treatment with an emphasis on treating the entire body and giving their patients the best quality of life.

Are Chiropractors Doctors?

Although chiropractors do not have a MD degree, they are required to fulfill the requirements of a Doctor of Chiropractor degree or DC before they can practice. This means that chiropractors are doctors of chiropractic medicine and are therefore considered physicians.

How Can Someone Become a Chiropractor?

The educational path of a chiropractor starts with a four-year undergraduate degree. After that, they must pursue four additional years of graduate-level chiropractic courses and achieve certification from a state licensing board that allows them to practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Undergraduate Requirements

It is recommended that people interested in becoming a chiropractor focus their studies at the undergraduate level on courses that cover a wide variety of scientific topics such as physics, chemistry, biology, and psychology. They may end up with a pre-med major such as Health Sciences, Biotechnology, or Exercise Science.

Graduate Requirements

Once they have completed their undergraduate studies, aspiring chiropractors must attend a graduate program that combines classroom studies with hands-on practice. In class, these students learn about the body’s ability to heal and its healing mechanisms, how to diagnose a patient and manage their pain, the neuro-musculoskeletal systems, health promotion, and how to practice a multidisciplinary approach to patient care.

Board Certification

After finishing their graduate courses in chiropractic medicine, candidates must take and successfully pass the rigorous National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Exam before being able to practice what they know and obtaining their license. Every state in the United States requires chiropractors to earn their DC degree from a council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) accredited college.

Specialization

At this point, some chiropractors specialize further in a specific area of care, and they continue their education by doing a two- or three-year residency. Every chiropractor, regardless of their area of expertise, is required to keep a high level of proficiency and remain current on the latest research and methods in their field.

What Courses Must Chiropractors Take During Their Graduate Program?

Specific courses depend on the university that offers the degree. However, in general terms, students prepare to become healthcare providers by learning how to diagnose patients, care for the human body, and integrate the care they offer within the larger healthcare system. To do so, they must take courses in anatomy, biology, imaging interpretation, orthopedics, ethics, dermatology, biochemistry, and pediatrics.

Here is a sample of the courses offered by many Doctor of Chiropractic graduate programs:

First Year Courses

• Chiropractic principles
• General anatomy
• Spinal anatomy
• Biochemistry

Second Year Courses

• Pathology
• Chiropractic procedures
• Imaging interpretation
• Research methods
• Clinical orthopedics

Third Year Courses

• Integrated chiropractic care
• Pediatrics
• Dermatology
• Clinical internships
• Practice management
• Jurisprudence and ethics

Fourth Year Courses

• Rotations in clinics or hospitals
• Clinical internships

Becoming a Qualified Chiropractor

Chiropractors may not have a medical degree, but that does not mean they do not have a wealth of medical knowledge. They specialize in offering their patients an affordable form of therapy that does not rely on invasive procedures or chemicals. Their treatments are drug-free and non-invasive and aim to treat the musculoskeletal issues affecting their patients.

Through chiropractic adjustment, chiropractors aim to restore the proper range of motion, flexibility, and alignment of the joints in a patient’s body. This way, nerves, muscles, and other systems benefit as well.

Although chiropractors usually administer their treatment manually, they may also use physical supports, heat therapy, and other healing methods. The treatments they offer generally happen in a private practice or outpatient facility and do not involve prescription medications or surgery.