How To Become A Chiropractor
A chiropractor treats people who suffer from ailments relating to the muscles and skeleton. Chiropractors, also known as chiropractic physicians or doctors of chiropractic, believe that problems with misalignment of the spinal joints can interfere with the nervous system and can cause many health problems. These doctors of chiropractic provide a patient with non drug, nonsurgical health treatment.
A chiropractic physician will begin their treatment of a patient by taking the patient\’s history, conducting various examinations including physical, neurological and orthopedic. He/she may also perform lab tests and/or x-rays on the patient. After assessing the patient\’s health status and determining what problems the patient is suffering from, the chiropractor will develop a plan of therapy for the patient.
A plan of therapy for a patient may include using forms of heat, water, light, electric and massage therapy. The plan of therapy may also include the need to wear braces, taping, shoe inserts or using other forms of support items. Therapy will not include any medication or surgery as a chiropractor is not licensed to prescribe drugs or perform surgery.
To become a chiropractor one must complete 2 to 4 years of undergraduate study and a 4 year chiropractic college program. For a person to be accepted in an accredited chiropractic program he/she must have completed at least 90 hours of undergraduate study in such courses as biology, psychology and English. The 90 hours of undergraduate study must be in courses leading towards completion of a bachelor\’s degree.
There are only 16 accredited chiropractic college programs in the United States. The programs consist of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical study. An individual that graduates from a chiropractic program will receive the Doctor of Chiropractic degree. After receiving a degree an individual may continue his/her education and specialize in several fields of chiropractic medicine including sports injury, orthopedics and pediatrics.
A person must possess several characteristics and abilities to practice as a chiropractic physician. One must have great observational skills, good manual dexterity, be empathic towards others, be understanding and have a genuine desire to help others. An individual should also have good organizational and management skills especially if they are self-employed.
Most chiropractic physicians work in a solo practice or a group practice. Their work week consists of 40 hours, though some may offer night and weekend hours especially those in solo practices. A small number work in hospitals or clinics, teach or are employed with research facilities. About 40% of chiropractic physicians are self-employed. An individual must be licensed to practice in this field of medicine and they are usually only allowed to practice in the state in which they are licensed.
The outlook for this profession is good with an increased growth due to the demand for alternative healthcare and the rise in the older population. An individual in this field can expect to earn in the range of $45,000 to $96,000. Many individuals in this profession are located in small communities due to the fact that there are only a small number of educational institutes for the career and many choose to practice near these institutes.
Looking for a Toronto chiropractor? This Sports injury Clinic provides a combination of Chiropractors, massage therapists, Toronto physiotherapy and other specialized physicians. Athletic Edge Sports Medicine 121 King Street West, Suite 1100, Toronto, ON M5H 3T9 (416) 800-0800
Looking for a Chiropractor in Toronto? This Sports injury Clinic provides a combination of Chiropractors, massage therapists, and other specialized physicians. Athletic Edge Sports Medicine 121 King Street West, Suite 1100, Toronto, ON M5H 3T9 (416) 800-0800
http://www.aesm.ca/
Author Bio: Looking for a Toronto chiropractor? This Sports injury Clinic provides a combination of Chiropractors, massage therapists, Toronto physiotherapy and other specialized physicians. Athletic Edge Sports Medicine 121 King Street West, Suite 1100, Toronto, ON M5H 3T9 (416) 800-0800
Category: Sports
Keywords: Sports, health, fitness, medicine, chiropractor, physiotherapy, therapy, business, wellness, injury