The human body’s musculoskeletal system deserves the attention of a specialist. In general, the complexity details out this way:
Considering all that can (and does go wrong) in a lifetime full of activities and movement, aiming for the Doctor of Chiropractic degree opens up many opportunities to improve the lives of people regardless of age.
Research indicates there are more than 150 musculoskeletal conditions that restrict or limit the movement of humans. Some are minor; others diminish the ability to return to work or participate in life activities.
Consider these facts:
Knowing all this, it’s no wonder many choose to specialize in the doctor of chiropractic degree.
Chiropractor A.J. Hernandez: sports injury leads to chiropractic career.
“The experience that determined my path to chiropractic was in high school,” says Dr. A. J. Hernandez, a Las Vegas chiropractor who’s had his practice since 2019. “I had a really bad leg injury, to the point that I couldn’t walk. Working with a chiropractor helped address the root cause. Now, my biggest thing is getting a patient’s body moving and healthy in the way it should be so that it can heal itself.”
According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, chiropractic use in the U.S. tripled in the past 20 years. There are more than 70,000 registered and licensed chiropractors practicing in the U.S.
Chiropractic Degree = Musculoskeletal Specialist
The article New Studies Support Inclusion of Chiropractic in Collaborative Care details that doctors of chiropractic “are specifically trained to diagnose, evaluate and provide non-pharmaceutical care and rehabilitation to individuals suffering from acute, subacute and chronic low back and neck pain, headaches, neuro-musculoskeletal, and other related conditions.”
Dig into a chiropractic college’s curriculum, and you see a chiropractic education is rigorous in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and human biology. Chiropractic students study human anatomy and physiology in-depth, learn how to diagnose neuro-musculoskeletal conditions and diseases, and receive intensive training in patient assessment, diagnosis, and achieving the highest standards of patient care.
In addition, chiropractic degree students are continually evaluated in their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They are tested throughout their time in school for knowledge and sound clinical reasoning.
(Read a blog about what’s covered in the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE exams).
A multidisciplinary medical practice includes a whole team of medical professionals who focus on a variety of specialties. These doctors work as a team to provide the best possible care for their patients, combining their complementary skills, knowledge, and expertise.
According to Dr. Mark Pfefer, director of research at Cleveland University-Kansas City, students in the University’s College of Chiropractic are preparing to be part of the movement toward multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
“Currently, the majority of chiropractors provide care in private practice settings and increasingly receive referrals from primary care medical providers,” Pfefer says. “Much is being done in chiropractic education that will feature increased collaboration, integration, and use of an evidence-based, best-practices approach.”
Quality Education Through Accreditation
Earning a chiropractic degree requires that the university or college be accredited by a Dept. of Education approved organization, the same standard for accreditation as medical schools. Chiropractic colleges also are accredited by the Council of Chiropractic Education (CCE).
Students thinking about applying to medical schools and chiropractic colleges have similar traits and experiences, such as
The chiropractic perspective views health as an expression of biological, psychological, and social factors. The profession’s principles value the body’s intrinsic biologic ability to self-regulate and to restore and maintain health through natural, conservative treatments rather than relying on prescription drugs.
The core purpose of chiropractic practice and procedure is to relieve interference caused by disturbed joint biomechanics. Chiropractors are uniquely skilled to do this by recommending an appropriate application of manual assessment and correction, nutrition changes, constructive exercise, posture changes, and other conservative treatments.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas, a large suburban city within the Kansas City metro. Through our year-round trimester schedule, most students earn their Doctor of Chiropractic degree (D.C.) in 3.3 years.
Points of distinction for the CUKC chiropractic degree include:
Request information about the CUKC Doctor of Chiropractic program so you can get this free eBook: Your Complete Guide to the Chiropractic Profession.
