If you’ve been suffering from back or neck pain and would like to get to the root source of your problems, you’ve probably considered seeing a medical doctor as well as a chiropractor. The truth is that you don’t have to choose one or the other. Sometimes it’s good to get different opinions on the best solution from multiple sources.
But one thing that might hold you back from visiting a chiropractor to discuss pain relief is worrying about whether or not a chiropractor is considered a “real” doctor.
When you visit a chiropractor, you can rest assured that you are entrusting your body to a health care professional who has trained as intensely as those in other medical fields. Here are some similarities and differences between the fields of chiropractic and traditional medicine.
Chiropractors earn a Doctor of Chiropractor (D.C.) degree, while physicians earn a medical degree called a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). Both types of doctors earn a bachelor’s degree first, typically in a science field like biology.
It’s possible to major in pre-chiropractic or pre-med at some universities. Students in either field may also need to complete prerequisite courses in subjects like anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. Medical students take the MCAT exam, but prospective chiropractors do not.
After receiving their bachelor’s degree, chiropractic students attend a school accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, or CCE, which takes four years to complete. Their final year is spent working with patients under the supervision of a clinical director.
Prospective chiropractors learn how to adjust the body with mechanical or electrical methods, and learn how to treat various injuries and illnesses that result from misalignment. Chiropractors who specialize in areas like neurology or sports medicine complete an additional 2-4 years of training and clinical work, similar to a medical residency.
Both chiropractic and medical doctor students take courses like cell biology and anatomy. Medical school takes four years, with the final two involving clinical rotations in various medical fields so that students can practice different forms of care before specializing. M.D.’s then complete a 3-7-year residency in a specific field, like cardiology or orthopedics.
M.D.’s and D.C.’s must both pass national boards and state exams to become certified to practice. Many people who are suffering from pain would like to get to the root of their problems rather than just masking their symptoms with more and more pills.
For those who are interested in more of a natural, long term solution to better health, chiropractic care is an option you can explore with confidence that your chiropractor is a “real” doctor with proper training.
We’re Here To Help
If you’ve been considering chiropractic care and would like to learn more about our approach, we invite you to schedule an appointment and find out for yourself if chiropractic treatments are the solution that would work best for your body.
Call 417 Spine to schedule an appointment and get started on your path to optimal health.
