How to Become a Chiropractor

The origin or the word chiropractic care, lies in a Greek word chiro-praktikós meaning "done by hand". It is a practice that dates back to 1895, however, the art of manipulating the body with hands is an ancient one. The credit for establishing it as a formal science goes to Daniel David Palmer, a self-taught healer in Davenport, Iowa. Daniel's search for a method to cure disease and illness without the use of drugs, resulted in chiropractic. He began practicing based on his study of the structure of the spine, along with all prior practices of adjusting the body with the hands.

Chiropractic science focuses on the maintenance of the three main body systems: the nervous, muscular and skeletal systems. Chiropractors are licensed doctors who find medical solutions in spinal joint realignments. The principle they believe in is that the misalignment of any spinal joint interferes with the nervous system, which results in diminished health, due to the lowering of the body's resistance to disease. Their solutions lie in the body’s inherent ability to recuperate and regenerate.

The discipline of chiropractic requires one to undergo a hectic and strenuous professional education, that is equal to what any primary health care provider would go through. Those who aspire to become chiropractors, must be prepared for several years of undergraduate education followed by many classroom hours at a fully-accredited chiropractic college. It doesn't end here, for one has to pass a series of National Board exams, as well as a licensing exam of the state, in which they will be practicing.

In the United States, students who take up the study of chiropractic begin with a few years of undergraduate studies, where the focus is on biology and science. This is followed by a 4 to 5 year program at a chiropractic college. Students also have to complete an internship at an outpatient clinic, owned and run by the chiropractic college. The requirements to practice as a chiropractor deffer a little in different states. A chiropractic college should to be accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

The subjects that comprise courses at chiropractic colleges include

• Bones and joints (orthopaedics)
• Adjusting techniques
• General chiropractic analysis
• Anatomy
• Nervous system (neurology)
• Biochemistry
• Radiology
• Disease (pathology)
• Physical and lab diagnosis
• Function of the body (physiology)

There are two kinds of examinations that qualify a chiropractic student for practice. One is conducted by the National Board of Chiropractor Examiners and referred to as the Board certification. The purpose of this exam is to create and maintain national standards for chiropractic care. The other, called licensure, is conducted at the state level in accordance with specific state laws. While most states require the completion of the National Chiropractic Board examination first, licensing regulations are different in some states. In a few states, the passing of a practical exam is mandatory. Training received in a chiropractic school, that is accredited by the Council of Chiropractic Education (CCE), is recognized in all American states. To maintain a high standard in chiropractic, chiropractors have to complete a certain number of continuing education hours every year, to keep their license (applicable in most states).

These are some words take from the Chiropractic Oath. They best describe what one's desires and aspiration should be if they choose to become a chiropractor. If these beliefs reflect your own, then this may be the profession for you.

"I will at all times stand ready to serve humanity, without distinction of race, creed or colour, in my lifelong vocation of preventing and alleviating human suffering, wherever it may be found, by exemplifying in my own life a pattern of living in harmony with the laws of nature."

"May God so direct the skillful use of my hands that I may bring strength to the sick, relief to the suffering, peace of mind to the anxious, and inspiration to all humanity to attain bountiful health that we may live this life to the fullest expression of its innate endowments."