Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic is a health care approach that focuses on the relationship between the body's structure - mainly the spine - and its functioning. Although practitioners may use a variety of treatment approaches, they primarily perform adjustments to the spine or other parts of the body with the goal of correcting alignment problems and supporting the body's natural ability to heal itself.

Key Points

• People seek this care primarily for pain conditions such as back pain, neck pain, and headache.

• Side effects and risks depend on the type of treatment used.

• Practitioners in the United States are required to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from properly accredited colleges.

• Ongoing research is looking at effects of treatment approaches, how they might work, and diseases and conditions for which they may be most helpful.

• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Overview and History

The term "chiropractic" combines the Greek words cheir (hand) and praxis (action) to describe a treatment done by hand. Hands-on therapy–especially adjustment of the spine. Chiropractors - part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) - base their treatments on these key concepts:

• The body has a powerful self-healing ability.
• The body's structure (primarily that of the spine) and its function are closely related, and this relationship affects health.
• Therapy aims to normalize this relationship between structure and function and assist the body as it heals.

While some procedures can be traced back to ancient times, the modern profession was founded by Daniel David Palmer in 1895 in Davenport, Iowa.

Palmer, a self-taught healer, believed that the body has a natural healing ability. Misalignments of the spine can interfere with the flow of energy needed to support health, Palmer theorized, and the key to health is to normalize the function of the nervous system, especially the spinal cord.

Patterns of Use

A 2002 national survey on Complimentary and Alternative Medicine use found that about 20 percent of American adults had received treatment at some point during their lives.

A Chiropractor was one of the 10 most commonly used CAM therapists. Those surveyed reported using a chiropractor for the following reasons:

• Combining services with conventional medical treatments would help–53 percent
• Conventional medicine would not help–40 percent
• A Chiropractor would be interesting to try–32 percent
• Conventional medical professional suggested it–20 percent
• Conventional medical treatments were too expensive–10 percent.

What To Expect From Your Appointment

During the initial visit, chiropractors typically take a health history and perform a physical examination, with a special emphasis on the spine. Other examinations or tests such as x-rays may also be performed.

During follow-up visits, practitioners may perform one or more of the many different types of adjustments used in care. Given mainly to the spine, an adjustment (sometimes referred to as a manipulation) involves using the hands or a device to apply a controlled, sudden force to a joint, moving it beyond its passive range of motion.

The goal is to increase the range and quality of motion in the area being treated and to aid in restoring health. Other hands-on therapies such as mobilization (movement of a joint within its usual range of motion) also may be used.

Chiropractors may combine the use of spinal adjustments with several other treatments and approaches such as:

• Heat and ice
• Electrical stimulation
• Rest
• Rehabilitative exercise
• Counseling about diet, weight loss, and other lifestyle factors
• Dietary supplements

Side Effects and Risks

Side effects and risks depend on the specific type of treatment used. For example, side effects from adjustments can include temporary headaches, tiredness, or discomfort in parts of the body that were treated.

The likelihood of serious complications, such as stroke, appears to be extremely low and related to the type of adjustment performed and the part of the body treated.

If dietary supplements are a part of the treatment plan, they may interact with medicines and cause side effects. It is important that people inform their chiropractors of all medicines (whether prescription or over-the-counter) and supplements they are taking.

Qualifications To Practice

To practice in the United States, a practitioner must earn a degree from a college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). CCE is the agency certified by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit chiropractic colleges in the United States. Admission to a college requires a minimum of 90 semester hour credits (approximately 3 years) of undergraduate study, mostly in the sciences.

Training is a 4-year academic program that includes both classroom work and direct experience caring for patients. Coursework typically includes instruction in the biomedical sciences, as well as in public health and research methods. Some practitioners pursue a 2- to 3-year residency for training in specialized fields.

Regulation

Chiropractors are regulated individually by each state and the District of Columbia. Board examinations are required for licensing and include a mock patient encounter.

Most states require chiropractors to earn annual continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. Chiropractors' scope of practice varies by state in areas such as laboratory tests or diagnostic procedures, the dispensing or selling of dietary supplements, and the use of other CAM therapies such as acupuncture or homeopathy.

Insurance Coverage

Compared with other CAM therapies, insurance coverage for a chiropractor is extensive. Many HMOs (health maintenance organizations) and private health care plans cover treatment, as do all state workers' compensation systems.

Chiropractors can bill Medicare, and many states cover treatment under Medicaid. If you have health insurance, check whether these services are covered before you seek treatment.

Other Points To Consider

• Research to expand the scientific understanding of chiropractic treatment is ongoing.
• If you decide to seek chiropractic care, talk to your chiropractor about his education, training, and licensing
• Whether he has experience treating the health conditions for which you are seeking care
• Any special medical concerns you have and any medicines or dietary supplements you are taking.
• Tell all of your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

NCCAM-Funded Research

Recent research projects on chiropractic care supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) have focused on the:

Effectiveness of chiropractic treatments for back pain, neck pain, and headache, as well as for other health conditions such as temporomandibular disorders.

Development of a curriculum to increase the number of chiropractors involved in research.

Influence of people's satisfaction with chiropractic care on their response to treatment.

Source: NCCAM Publication No. D403 (Nov. 2007)

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