Have you heard from friends or family how helpful a chiropractor has been for them, but wondered whether or not chiropractors are considered doctors? Older generations may remember a time when chiropractic care was excluded from medical practices and medical insurance. Today, however, chiropractic care is recognized as a legitimate group of medical providers who can help treat a wide variety of illnesses, injuries, and pain. If you are considering a chiropractor in Snellville but have anxiety about the experience, here is some helpful information on chiropractors as a medical profession.
Medical Training and Certification for Chiropractors
While chiropractors are not medical doctors, they are medical providers. Chiropractors are medical professionals who can treat many of the same conditions as your primary care doctor, an orthopedist, a physical therapist, or even a car accident injury doctor. While chiropractors do not go to medical school or receive a medical doctorate, they do attend chiropractic school where they also study the body. Areas of study are very similar to medical doctors in that future chiropractors will study anatomy and physiology, the nervous system, the spine, and how to diagnose and interpret diagnostic imaging tools.
After an undergraduate degree, those who complete a chiropractic program that includes clinical internships and hands-on experience will receive a Doctorate of Chiropractic, which is the first step to treating patients. Once a chiropractor receives their doctorate, they still must receive approval from a state licensing board with strict rules and regulations before starting to work with patients. One difference between medical doctors and chiropractors as medical providers is that chiropractors do not prescribe medication. Instead, chiropractic care is considered a natural, non-invasive approach to treat your pain or illness.
Medical Treatments by Chiropractors
While chiropractors do not prescribe medications, they do use a number of natural, alternative approaches to pain management that are just as effective, without the side effects or risk for addiction. Chiropractors view pain, injuries, and illnesses as related to your muscles and bones and provide medical treatment to patients by using gentle adjustment techniques to the spine. A goal of chiropractic treatment is to evaluate and identify any areas in the spine that are out of alignment and causing your pain or illness. Then, they will use specific techniques of chiropractors to help restore your spine to its proper positioning and encourage better communication from your brain to the rest of your body.
In addition to chiropractic adjustments on your spine, a chiropractor will also focus on the muscles supporting your spine and the other muscles and soft tissues that may be affected by a spinal misalignment. Your muscles help support your spine and your spine houses the nervous system, which is responsible for sending messages from your brain to the rest of your body. Chiropractors view your pain or injury as a neuromusculoskeletal issue, meaning it affects your nervous system, muscles, and bones. They then develop a treatment plan that will address how all three of these areas are impacted by spinal misalignments.
Holistic Approach to Your Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors use a holistic approach to treating each patient, meaning they view your illness or pain symptoms as a side effect or symptom of a misalignment in your spine. A goal of chiropractic care is to treat the body as a whole and recognize how one area that may be functioning poorly can make an impact on the rest of your body. In addition to your physical body, chiropractors also view your mental health and wellness as part of this. A treatment plan will involve helping your body function correctly in order to experience better health and wellness.
Contrary to what some may think, chiropractors don’t just adjust your spine and call it a day! Part of this holistic view of your healthcare and treatment includes an emphasis on your nutrition, diet, and other aspects of your lifestyle like exercise. Depending on your specific illness or injury, your chiropractor may recommend specific stretches and exercises to help alleviate back pain or muscle pain. Chiropractors also consider other natural ways of treating your ailments, like suggesting specific diets or sleep options that may help.
Quality, competent doctors of chiropractic and medical doctors recognize the importance and benefits of working together to provide patients with comprehensive care. It is imperative to pick a good chiropractor that fits your needs. At AICA Orthopedics in Snellville, you can schedule a consultation to meet with a chiropractor and learn more about how chiropractic care will benefit you. It also helps to know that visiting a chiropractor in Snellville like with AICA Orthopedics can include medical doctors as part of your treatment plan so you feel fully taken care of and are able to experience true healing and recovery.