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Chiropractic
is the fastest growing and second largest primary health care
profession. |
There are
approximately 60,000 doctors of chiropractic (DCs) in active practice in
the United States spread from rural areas to inner cities. More than
10,000 students are currently enrolled in chiropractic educational
programs accredited by a federally recognized body (CCE).
 | Chiropractic
services are in high demand. |
Tens of millions of
Americans routinely opt for chiropractic services and this number is
rapidly growing. In 1993, more than 30 million consumers made
chiropractic a regular part of their health care program.
| Doctors of
Chiropractic receive extensive, demanding professional education on
par with medical doctors (MDs) and osteopaths (DOs). |
To receive the doctor
of chiropractic degree, candidates must complete extensive undergraduate
prerequisites and four years of graduate level instruction and
internship at an accredited chiropractic institution. Comprehensive
knowledge of all systems of the body and diagnostic procedures enable
the DC to thoroughly evaluate a patient, address disorders relating to
the spine and determine the need for referral to another health care
provider.
| Doctors of
Chiropractic are primary health care providers. |
According to the
Center for Studies in Health Policy, "The DC can provide all three
levels of primary care interventions and therefore is a primary care
provider, as are MDs and DOs. The doctor of chiropractic is a gatekeeper
to the health care system and an independent practitioner who provides
primary care services. The DC's office is a direct access portal of
entry to the full scope of service."
| Doctors of
Chiropractic are licensed in all 50 states. |
DCs have been
licensed and recognized for many decades in all states, the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico.
| Chiropractic is
recognized by governmental health care programs. |
Chiropractic is
included in Medicare, Medicaid, Federal Employees Health Care Benefits
Programs, Federal Workers' Compensation and all state workers'
compensation programs. Chiropractic students are qualified to receive
federal student loan assistance and DCs are authorized to be
commissioned as health care officers in the U.S. Armed Forces.
| The practice of
chiropractic is based on sound scientific principles. |
The existence of the
nervous system as the primary control mechanism of the body is an
undisputed scientific fact. Its relationship with the spine is the focus
of the practice of chiropractic.
The spine develops in
utero to provide two primary functions: (1) allow for freedom of
movement and (2) house and protect the spinal cord. When the vertebrae
of the spine become misaligned through trauma or repetitive injury, two
major consequences will result: (1) the range of motion becomes limited
and (2) spinal nerves emerging from the spinal cord are compromised.
DCs use the term
"subluxation" to describe such disruptions. Interruption of
nerve flow can eventually lead to pain, disability, and an overall
decrease in the quality of life. Conversely, the removal of that
interference has been shown to have significant, lasting health
benefits. Through the adjustment of the subluxation, the doctor of
chiropractic endeavors to restore normal nerve expression. The body is
then able to respond appropriately to any imbalance in the system, thus
relieving symptoms and restoring health.
| Doctors of
chiropractic provide effective, low-cost health care for a wide
range of conditions. |
Studies conducted according
to the highest scientific standards and published by organizations not
affiliated in any way with chiropractic institutions or associations
continue to show the clinical appropriateness and effectiveness of
chiropractic care. One of the most recent, funded by the Ontario
Ministry of Health, stated emphatically that:
"On the
evidence, particularly the most scientifically valid clinical studies,
spinal manipulation applied by chiropractors is shown to be more
effective than alternative treatments for low back pain...There would be
highly significant cost savings if more management of low back pain was
transferred from physician to chiropractors."
| The doctor of
chiropractic is an effective source of preventative and wellness
care. |
The anatomical focus
of the DC on the human spine has created the perception of the DC as
just a "back doctor." Although this perception is not entirely
incorrect, it is very much incomplete. Doctors of chiropractic are a
highly appropriate resource in matters of work-place safety, stress
management, injury prevention, postural correction and nutritional
counseling."
| The process of
chiropractic adjustment is a safe, efficient procedure which is
performed nearly one million times every working day in the United
States. |
There is a singular lack of
actuarial data that would justify concluding that chiropractic care is
in any way harmful or dangerous. Chiropractic care is non-invasive,
therefore, the body's response to chiropractic care is far more
predictable than its reactions to drug treatments or surgical
procedures. Of the nearly one million adjustments given every day in
this country, complications are exceedingly rare.
Perhaps the best summary
statement on the subject of safety was published in 1979 by the
Government of New Zealand which established a special commission to
study chiropractic. They found:
"The conspicuous
lack of evidence that chiropractors cause harm or allow harm to occur
through neglect of medical referral can be taken to mean only one thing:
that chiropractors have on the whole an impressive safety record."
| Chiropractic
Professional Populations as Compared to General Populations in
Selected States |
The population of
doctors of chiropractic in active practice in the United States is
reliably estimated to be 53,000. The ratio of DCs to the general
population, based on the Bureau of the Census figures is estimated to be
one doctor of chiropractic for every 5,100 citizens. This compared
dramatically to the ratio of medical providers to the general population
as there are well over ten times more MDs than DCs. Thus the MD to
general population ratio is approximately one to every 430 citizens.
On a state by
state basis, the distribution of doctors of chiropractic varies
somewhat. Following are figures of DCs compared to the general
population for selected states.
| IOWA |
One
DC for every 2875 citizens |
| ILLINOIS |
One
DC for every 4148 citizens |
| INDIANA |
One
DC for every 7066 citizens |
| KANSAS |
One
DC for every 3654 citizens |
| MICHIGAN |
One
DC for every 5242 citizens |
| MINNESOTA |
One
DC for every 2317 citizens |
| MISSOURI |
One
DC for every 3512 citizens |
| NEBRASKA |
One
DC for every 5408 citizens |
| OHIO |
One
DC for every 6326 citizens |
| SOUTH
DAKOTA |
One
DC for every 3354 citizens |
The
statistics regarding the number of doctors of chiropractic in active
practices in each state are based on the 1999 data on 'resident
licenses' as published by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing
Boards. |
