More people than ever are finding life-long health benefits through chiropractic care. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, chiropractic use in the U.S. tripled from 1982 to 2002, and the outlook for the profession is for 11% growth from 2020 to 2030.
When a patient-focused healthcare career seems right to you, be sure to learn all you can about earning a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Here’s why:
Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.s) are healthcare professionals focused on the diagnosis, care, and prevention of disorders of the spine and other parts of the musculoskeletal system. D.C.s understand the effects these disorders have on general health and wellbeing.
The relationship between structure – primarily the spine – and function– as coordinated by the nervous system – is central to the chiropractic approach to patient care, health, and wellbeing.
The spinal column protects the spinal cord, which is an extension of the brain and is part of the central nervous system (CNS). Nerves from the spinal cord exit the spinal column, branching out like a delicate web to transmit information back and forth between the CNS and the rest of the body.
On the way to earning their doctor of chiropractic degrees, chiropractic college students study the close relationship between the spine and the nervous system because abnormal or dysfunctional spinal movement can adversely impact nerve function, affecting the communication between the brain and the body.
Research studies demonstrate that chiropractic services are clinically effective, safe, and cost-effective. In the last few years, there has been a push toward conservative spine care. For such patients, interventions like surgery or opioid medications are often used as a last resort.
A cornerstone of chiropractic care is a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s condition, with a focus on spinal and related musculoskeletal function.
Based on the clinical indications, timing, or severity of the patient’s condition, the D.C. recommends a trial of chiropractic care.
In the course of earning their chiropractic degrees, students learn how to optimize patient health through
The focus of chiropractic is on restoring joint mobility and function, resolving joint inflammation, and reducing pain levels.
The chiropractic spinal adjustment is a manual procedure designed to introduce motion into a dysfunctional joint. The procedure is precise and controlled, and directed to one or more dysfunctional join segments.
Drs. Clausen and Haase
There are 70,000+ doctors of chiropractic in the U.S. Some prefer urban locations; others choose geographic areas where the healthcare need is great.
After Drs. Whitney Haase and Nolan Clausen earned their chiropractic degrees, they returned to their native Nebraska to set up their practice in Elkhorn, Neb., a northwestern suburb of Omaha.
“I’m so happy I’m where I am today,” Dr. Haase says. “We’re able to affect people in a way that a lot of other medical professionals can’t. If your goal is to make an impact on people’s quality of life, chiropractic is a wonderful career to get you there.”
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. Most students earn their Doctor of Chiropractic degree (D.C.) in 3.3 years through our year-round trimester schedule.
Points of distinction for the CUKC chiropractic program include:
Request information about the CUKC Doctor of Chiropractic degree program to get this free eBook: Your Complete Guide to the Chiropractic Profession.