Why do chiropractors adamently insist that they are as highly trained as M.D.'s??
Question: I have heard many things about chiropractors, both good and bad. But nothing bothers me more than to hear someone say that chiropractors are as highly trained or trained better than M.D.'s. I am a current Doctor of Physical Therapy student, and when I graduate, I may have a doctorate, but I will certainly not insist on being called a doctor equivalent to an M.D. We (DPT, M.D., D.O., D.C.) are all taught some of the same, but some very different medical aspects. However, I feel that chiropractors try to make outrageous claims they can't live up to, which is a concept that is revisited when they claim to have better training than M.D.'s. I'm not here to bash chiropractors, I just want people to know the truth when it comes to healthcare, I mean, last time I checked, chiropractors only need 2 years of undergrad before entering chiropractic school.
Answers: As a DPT myself, I tread lightly to answer this question...as we are currently being accused of trying to be doctors. You and I have the luxury of knowing that the demands of our profession have reached that beyond a master's degree and that a doctorate is evolving due to the increasing curriculum of our programs. Yet, we both recognize that our degree extends us to being experts within the scope of our practice...ie, we are the experts when it comes to the actual physical treatment of patients for rehabilitation. Many will agure that a physiatrist is the true doctor of physical therapy...yet, most people do not know that physiatrists (unless former PTs or OTs) do not get the hands on experience of actual physical therapy treatments...rather, their expertise lies in the MEDICAL treatment of people undergoing rehabilitative services (for instance, introducing baclofen for the management of spasticity in someone who has had a stroke).
I cannot say that a DC and an MD are equivelent degrees...but it's like comparing apples and oranges...the scope of a DC is completely different than that of an MD. Yet, the training of a DC is nearly as lengthy as an MD...plenty for them to be considered experts in their own field...if you visit the website for the National School of Chiropratic, you will see that a baccalureate degree is required as a prerequisite....you will also notice that the prerequisite courses are somewhat more stringent than PT prerequisites (about a semester more of bio and chem) and are somewhat comparable to courses taken by many premed students. The professional phase of their program is 10 trimesters...I think this is plenty for them to use the title Dr as they have spent nearly 8 years in their studies. PT is quickly approaching that...but we have yet to establish standards of practice that will encourage the public to recognize the validity of our field...we are working on it, that's for sure...but until then, I recognize the DPT has value...but do not expect the general public to understand the difference between DPT, MD and pHD...therefore I do not use the title and it seems that you have decided to do the same.
I cannot say that I know of any DCs who think they are better trained than MDs...but I know plenty who believe that their practice is superior the mainstream medical system (otherwise, why would they do it?)...I really think it comes down to opinions on approach to treatment rather than being more highly trained than an MD.
Not sure about all you said, But I Love My Chiropractor. He treat me, my son, and grandson.
I don't know why a Chiropractor would try to suggest he/she is equal to a medical doctor and I would think it would be illegal to put that out there. Frankly, I feel that the manipulation of the spine and 'adjustment' of the spine for every medical condition is unhealthy. I've noticed that people who go to chiropractors seem to need to sign on for life. It's like you need to marry one once they start playing with your back the way they do. I always make the analogy that adjustments are like putting a screw in wall and then removing it, and then putting it back in, etc., etc.. I feel that after a while, you would 'strip' the hole and the screw would be all floppy. Same with the spine. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it...
Perhaps a medical doctor would make an assessment that someone needs an adjustment for a specific type of injury or condition -- but for an MD, this option would be just one of many that would be considered on a case-by-case basis. This to me, makes the MD the better choice -- The chiropractor has only back adjustment in his bag of tricks.
EEGADS! The answer before me says to me that a person thinks you need to have chiropractors in your life just because????? Why would children need to see a chiropractor????? And you love your chiropractor??? Healthy people should be able to live without any sort of doctor 'on retainer'.
It's not very well know, but Medical Schools just officially started requiring 4 years of undergraduate education fairly recently. Many MD's still practicing had less than four years of undergraduate. The important thing is to have the core classes required to understand health and science related curricula, which takes about 2-1/2 years in both MD and DC education (the rest is just finishing your Bachelors, which doesn't have to be in a scientific subject to get into Med School - if you don't believe me check yourself). Several States do require finishing the bachelors to practice Chiropractic, including Washington (where I practiced), Hawaii and Florida.
DCs and MDs have the same basic curricula of courses including pathology, physiology, anatomy, and so on. The curricula varies when MD's start studying pharmacology and surgery, and DCs begin studying chiropractic treatment, and go on to study quite a bit more anatomy and radiology than MDs. As for the quality of education, many of our teachers were licensed Medical Doctors, and most others PHDs in their fields. Our renal and neural physiology teacher (a PHD) also taught the same courses at UCLA and USC at their Med Schools, and when we asked him privately he said our course was harder.
This is just an old lie that keeps getting circulated again and again. If you have severe neck or back pain, first go to an MD (who will basically do not much for you), then go to a Chiro and judge for yourself who helps you more - don't judge by rumours and misinformation.
PS: Chiropractors are licensed as Doctors and Physicians in every State in the United States, that why we use the title Doctor.
PPS: This idea that a vertabra gets unstable with adjustments is also not true. In every experience I've had it gets more stable following treatment.
PPPS: Our profession does have a few bad apples in (as does every) but don't judge us all by that. Just look around until you find a good one.
Chiros may not be as heavily trained as M.D.'s but they make up for that by helping more people get well.
Massage therapists are far less trained than either, but they probably do more good than either one.
Here's why. The back gets pulled out of alignment by the muscles. So while realigning the spine is as good thing, a weakened muscle will allow the muscles on the opposite side to pull on the spine again, thereby recreating the original problem in many cases.
A massage therapist helps to relax the muscle. When the muscle is repaired by increased blood flow, etc, then the spine isn't as likely to get re-misaligned.
Good luck and be well.
Kelley
Chiropractors might not be trained the same way, but I listen to them sooner than an M.D. Chiropractors are more natural based and not being seduced by the pharmaceutical companies to get everyone and their mother hyped on drugs for a problem that can be fixed in a more natural tone.
I used to go to a chiropractor when i was a kid and i will never ever go again.
For me, having someone fix your tensions and aches is like getting someone to do your homework for you, sure the problems may be solved but what have you learned???
i think it dangerously robs the body of the chance to do the work itself. i think the more you get treated by a chiropractor, the less you are doing yourself and the weaker your muscles/tendons/joints/bones will become and subsequently the more you will have to rely on the chiropractor to fix you. i dont really see them as anything more than misguided people constantly feeding off the discomfort of lazy people.
why settle for being fixed periodically when you can make yourself strong and flexible so you dont need fixing? good cardiovascular exercise always works out the kinks for me, good stretching practices and routines keep you flexible and good weight bearing exercise makes you stronger and more hardy.
Answers: As a DPT myself, I tread lightly to answer this question...as we are currently being accused of trying to be doctors. You and I have the luxury of knowing that the demands of our profession have reached that beyond a master's degree and that a doctorate is evolving due to the increasing curriculum of our programs. Yet, we both recognize that our degree extends us to being experts within the scope of our practice...ie, we are the experts when it comes to the actual physical treatment of patients for rehabilitation. Many will agure that a physiatrist is the true doctor of physical therapy...yet, most people do not know that physiatrists (unless former PTs or OTs) do not get the hands on experience of actual physical therapy treatments...rather, their expertise lies in the MEDICAL treatment of people undergoing rehabilitative services (for instance, introducing baclofen for the management of spasticity in someone who has had a stroke).
I cannot say that a DC and an MD are equivelent degrees...but it's like comparing apples and oranges...the scope of a DC is completely different than that of an MD. Yet, the training of a DC is nearly as lengthy as an MD...plenty for them to be considered experts in their own field...if you visit the website for the National School of Chiropratic, you will see that a baccalureate degree is required as a prerequisite....you will also notice that the prerequisite courses are somewhat more stringent than PT prerequisites (about a semester more of bio and chem) and are somewhat comparable to courses taken by many premed students. The professional phase of their program is 10 trimesters...I think this is plenty for them to use the title Dr as they have spent nearly 8 years in their studies. PT is quickly approaching that...but we have yet to establish standards of practice that will encourage the public to recognize the validity of our field...we are working on it, that's for sure...but until then, I recognize the DPT has value...but do not expect the general public to understand the difference between DPT, MD and pHD...therefore I do not use the title and it seems that you have decided to do the same.
I cannot say that I know of any DCs who think they are better trained than MDs...but I know plenty who believe that their practice is superior the mainstream medical system (otherwise, why would they do it?)...I really think it comes down to opinions on approach to treatment rather than being more highly trained than an MD.
Not sure about all you said, But I Love My Chiropractor. He treat me, my son, and grandson.
I don't know why a Chiropractor would try to suggest he/she is equal to a medical doctor and I would think it would be illegal to put that out there. Frankly, I feel that the manipulation of the spine and 'adjustment' of the spine for every medical condition is unhealthy. I've noticed that people who go to chiropractors seem to need to sign on for life. It's like you need to marry one once they start playing with your back the way they do. I always make the analogy that adjustments are like putting a screw in wall and then removing it, and then putting it back in, etc., etc.. I feel that after a while, you would 'strip' the hole and the screw would be all floppy. Same with the spine. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it...
Perhaps a medical doctor would make an assessment that someone needs an adjustment for a specific type of injury or condition -- but for an MD, this option would be just one of many that would be considered on a case-by-case basis. This to me, makes the MD the better choice -- The chiropractor has only back adjustment in his bag of tricks.
EEGADS! The answer before me says to me that a person thinks you need to have chiropractors in your life just because????? Why would children need to see a chiropractor????? And you love your chiropractor??? Healthy people should be able to live without any sort of doctor 'on retainer'.
It's not very well know, but Medical Schools just officially started requiring 4 years of undergraduate education fairly recently. Many MD's still practicing had less than four years of undergraduate. The important thing is to have the core classes required to understand health and science related curricula, which takes about 2-1/2 years in both MD and DC education (the rest is just finishing your Bachelors, which doesn't have to be in a scientific subject to get into Med School - if you don't believe me check yourself). Several States do require finishing the bachelors to practice Chiropractic, including Washington (where I practiced), Hawaii and Florida.
DCs and MDs have the same basic curricula of courses including pathology, physiology, anatomy, and so on. The curricula varies when MD's start studying pharmacology and surgery, and DCs begin studying chiropractic treatment, and go on to study quite a bit more anatomy and radiology than MDs. As for the quality of education, many of our teachers were licensed Medical Doctors, and most others PHDs in their fields. Our renal and neural physiology teacher (a PHD) also taught the same courses at UCLA and USC at their Med Schools, and when we asked him privately he said our course was harder.
This is just an old lie that keeps getting circulated again and again. If you have severe neck or back pain, first go to an MD (who will basically do not much for you), then go to a Chiro and judge for yourself who helps you more - don't judge by rumours and misinformation.
PS: Chiropractors are licensed as Doctors and Physicians in every State in the United States, that why we use the title Doctor.
PPS: This idea that a vertabra gets unstable with adjustments is also not true. In every experience I've had it gets more stable following treatment.
PPPS: Our profession does have a few bad apples in (as does every) but don't judge us all by that. Just look around until you find a good one.
Chiros may not be as heavily trained as M.D.'s but they make up for that by helping more people get well.
Massage therapists are far less trained than either, but they probably do more good than either one.
Here's why. The back gets pulled out of alignment by the muscles. So while realigning the spine is as good thing, a weakened muscle will allow the muscles on the opposite side to pull on the spine again, thereby recreating the original problem in many cases.
A massage therapist helps to relax the muscle. When the muscle is repaired by increased blood flow, etc, then the spine isn't as likely to get re-misaligned.
Good luck and be well.
Kelley
Chiropractors might not be trained the same way, but I listen to them sooner than an M.D. Chiropractors are more natural based and not being seduced by the pharmaceutical companies to get everyone and their mother hyped on drugs for a problem that can be fixed in a more natural tone.
I used to go to a chiropractor when i was a kid and i will never ever go again.
For me, having someone fix your tensions and aches is like getting someone to do your homework for you, sure the problems may be solved but what have you learned???
i think it dangerously robs the body of the chance to do the work itself. i think the more you get treated by a chiropractor, the less you are doing yourself and the weaker your muscles/tendons/joints/bones will become and subsequently the more you will have to rely on the chiropractor to fix you. i dont really see them as anything more than misguided people constantly feeding off the discomfort of lazy people.
why settle for being fixed periodically when you can make yourself strong and flexible so you dont need fixing? good cardiovascular exercise always works out the kinks for me, good stretching practices and routines keep you flexible and good weight bearing exercise makes you stronger and more hardy.
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