Doctor of Chiropractic - A closer look at this widely recognized form of healing bodywork.

By Ashley Boyce, an allied health world staff writer
Published: June, 4 2010

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Allied Health World spoke with veteran chiropractor, Alta Mahan, Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), who took the time to provide in-depth answers to our questions about the academic and clinical training involved in preparing for a chiropractic career. Alta Mahan draws from her ten years of experience to help foster a deeper understanding of the challenges and rewards unique to this profession. Through her anecdotal descriptions of personal successes and thoughtful responses to common questions, Alta Mahan helps our readers better prepare themselves for a career practicing the healing art of chiropractic medicine.

What is Chiropractic Medicine?

Doctors of Chiropractic, more often called chiropractors or chiropractic physicians, practice a form of non-surgical and drug free chiropractor on the job medicine based on the understanding that proper structure and function of the spinal column and nervous system are of paramount importance to overall health and wellbeing. Chiropractic medicine is the science of diagnostics and therapeutics that addresses many areas of human health and well being, but is chiefly concerned with restoring mobility to the spine and joints of people who have suffered traumatic accidents or repetitive stress injuries.

Through clinical examination, laboratory testing, and diagnostic imaging that would include x-ray and ultrasound, chiropractic physicians assess the extent of tissue inflammation resulting from injury to determine the best course of action in applying treatment. The therapeutic treatment most often performed by chiropractors is called chiropractic adjustment or spinal manipulation. This involves the manual application of controlled force to spinal joints. By manipulating or adjusting the affected joint and surrounding tissues, chiropractic physicians help eliminate pain and tightness of muscle so as to better promote healing while giving their patients the freedom of restored mobility.

Chiropractors perform non-invasive bodywork that specifically addresses the musculoskeletal, neurological, and vascular systems of the body through spinal manipulation; but these skilled physicians are considerably more than just practitioners of bodywork. Chiropractic education programs prepare practitioners to also give attention to the psychological and biochemical aspects of their patients and treat them as integrated beings whose health is affected by nutritional, emotional, and environmental factors. Chiropractors instruct their patients on how to perform therapeutic and rehabilitative exercise on their own, and can also offer nutritional and dietary counseling to help promote healthy lifestyles for their patients.

How does chiropractic treatment work to promote healing and injury rehabilitation?

By adjusting and manipulating the articulations, or areas of movement, in the spine, as well as the soft tissue that surrounds the spinal column, chiropractors are able to release spinal subluxations. The term subluxation describes interference in the proper function of spinal nerves. Subluxation can be caused by any number of things, but most often it is associated with traumatic injury or repetitive stress injury. A traumatic injury might be a strained lower back caused by improperly lifting a heavy object, while a repetitive stress injury might arise from sitting in an awkward position for an extended period without maintaining proper spinal posture. These subluxations cause inflammation and pain, which often leads to restricted movement. By working to remove the subluxation, chiropractors can reduce soft tissue inflammation enough to eliminate pain such that patients can comfortably regain their natural movement.

Accomplished chiropractic physician, Alta Mahan, explains away some of the mystery surrounding the practice of chiropractic medicine and elaborates on how this form of bodywork helps to promote the body’s natural ability to heal itself: “As a chiropractor what I do is remove subluxations, or nerve interference of the spine. This allows the entire body to function better than it would with the nerve interference, so the whole body is affected [by chiropractic treatment]. I don’t treat any symptom; neck pain, low back pain, or headache, I do; however, treat subluxations.” Alta went on to qualify her statement by explaining how treating these subluxations promotes healing to injured areas of the body, “I can’t say that the reason you have a headache is only because of a subluxation, perhaps it’s because you drink too much caffeine. But I can guarantee that you body will function better and you will be healthier and better able to adapt to stresses without a subluxation.”

Chiropractic Schools

Kaplan College - KHE

[Campus]

Locations:

Salida
Vista

Programs:

Diploma: Therapeutic Health Technician
Diploma: Healthcare and Rehab Therapy Technician
Diploma: Massage Therapy

Quick Summary: Get a professional education designed with your future in mind at Kaplan College.

Southern California Health Institute

[Campus]

Locations:

North Hollywood

Programs:

Physical Therapy Aide/Sports Rehab Program
Advanced Professional Massage Therapy Program

Quick Summary: Since 1996, Southern California Health Institute has been dedicated and committed to helping students achieve their dreams by providing an exceptional education that enables them to become skilled and successful manual therapists.