Chiropractic

• Chiropractic: A Healing Profession



• What is a Doctor of Chiropractic?



• Physical Examination: Chiropractic Diagnosis and Analysis



• Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic: A Healing Profession Nearly everyone has some knowledge about the major systems of the body, such as the digestive system, the respiratory system, and the circulatory system. The master system that directs the activities of all other body systems is the nervous system. The nervous system includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves themselves. If anything interferes with the normal functioning of the nervous system, changes may occur in the function and structure of other body systems. Chiropractic is a healing art and science that emphasizes the dependency of health on the proper performance of the nervous system. The Doctor of Chiropractic helps to free the nervous system from interference with its normal function when such interference is the result of or related to distortion, subluxation (displaced vertebra), or misalignment of the bones of the spinal column.

Since chiropractic focuses on the prevention of disease, Doctors of Chiropractic offer their patients guidance in the maintenance of good heath. This guidance considers many factors, including the environment, diet, exercise, rest and stress. When corrective measures are indicated, chiropractic uses methods that are less invasive than medication or surgery.

While modern chiropractic is a relatively young health science, history records the use of physical manipulation for the treatment of many human conditions in several ancient civilizations. Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, is reported to have described methods of treatment similar to chiropractic. He is quoted as having said, "... in times of disease, look well to the spine."

Modern chiropractic began in 1895 when Dr. Daniel David Palmer performed and recorded the first chiropractic adjustment on Harvey Lillard, an African-American, in Davenport, Iowa. In 1913, Kansas issued the first license to practice chiropractic in the United States. New York State began its regulation of the profession in 1963, registering and licensing Doctors of Chiropractic. There are now thousands of licensees practicing in New York State. Currently all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and many territories of the United States license and regulate the chiropractic profession. Chiropractic is also recognized as a licensed health care profession in many countries throughout the world.

The United States Department of Education recognizes a national accrediting body, the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) that sets and enforces educational standards for the chiropractic profession. Similar accrediting bodies, many of which have reciprocal agreements with the CCE, exist in other countries. Such agreements support uniform standards for preparing chiropractic professionals around the world.

What is a Doctor of Chiropractic?

The Doctor of Chiropractic may practice chiropractic in New York State following licensure. The New York State Education Law defines the practice of chiropractic as:

...the detecting and correcting by manual or mechanical means structural imbalance, distortion, or subluxations in the human body for the purpose of removing nerve interference and the effects thereof, where such interference is the result of or related to distortion, misalignment or subluxation of or in the vertebral column.

In accordance with this statutory definition, a Doctor of Chiropractic may: 

• Analyze the body to determine nerve interference through appropriate manual or mechanical techniques, x-rays and other imaging procedures, clinical laboratory services, and instrumentation resulting in chiropractic
  
• Adjust and/or manipulate the bony segments of the human body;
  
• Employ mechanical and physiological therapeutics;
  
• Counsel patients regarding lifestyle habits, posture, exercise, diet, and stress.

Since any condition or complaint may fall outside the legal scope of chiropractic treatment, the doctor of chiropractic may refer patients to other qualified health care professionals. Whenever warranted by the condition, chiropractic care may be offered at the same time a patient is in treatment with another health care professional.

Physical Examination: Chiropractic Diagnosis and Analysis

Doctors of Chiropractic regularly perform a thorough examination to determine a patient's health status. Should the doctor decide that the patient requires non-chiropractic treatment, the reason(s) for that decision will be discussed with the patient, and a referral to an appropriate practitioner will be made.

The first step in diagnosis is to record a comprehensive case history. Diagnostic and analytical procedures enable the doctor to discover the nature and extent of the patient's condition. These procedures may include, but are not limited to, any or all of the following: physical, orthopedic, and neurological examinations; palpation (touch); and clinical laboratory tests to confirm or rule out certain conditions. X-rays, MRI's, CT scans or sonography studies may be ordered if there is an indication. The Doctor of Chiropractic's examination is unique in that it also involves chiropractic analysis, which includes a functional interpretation of spinal biomechanics, its distortions, and its correction.

Doctors of Chiropractic are trained in differential diagnosis that enables them to consider many different causes for a given set of symptoms. They can then determine whether or not chiropractic care is warranted and, if so, what type of care is the most appropriate for the detected condition.

The purpose of any health care examination is to provide the patient with a professional opinion before beginning care. As a general rule, the Doctor of Chiropractic shares with the patient the results of the information gathered during this initial phase so that together they can discuss and mutually agree upon a treatment plan.

Chiropractic Treatment

   Source: A Consumer Guide to Chiropractic in New York State. State Education Department