Chiropractors Part 1

My back has been bothering me.  I recently completed the Navy Seal Special Warfare preparatory training program which is six months long and rather intense.  Somewhere in week one the muscles in my lower back on the left side started feeling like they had been repeatedly punched. This feeling persisted despite my best efforts to stretch it out and modify the workout so not to strain that area.  7 months later, I've finally figured out why.

First I have to say that I began seeing a chiropractor at the age of 13.  As a kid I regularly had awful headaches late in the afternoon, so my mom took me to see her chiropractor.  Incidentally his last name was Spillane which being so close to spine, always made me wonder if he had changed it for the profession (he hadn't).  I just think its fun when people have last names that match up with what they choose to do in life.  That being said, he was an excellent chiropractor and after a few treatments the headaches stopped.  That was enough to sell me on their value, so I've continued to be an advocate of chiropractic care over the years, even though my regular visits have been intermittent (especially for the past 4-5 years).  However, I never hesitate to suggest to someone complaining of headaches or back pain that they may want to go for a visit.  

This suggestion is usually met with resistance from one of two fronts.  First, people express concern about it being to expensive.  In my experience the average visit is between $30 and $40.  Not terrible, especially considering the doctors copay is usually $15 - $25 followed by any medications he/she may prescribe which could be anywhere from $15 to $250.  Or more.  And what's more, those meds aren't actually fixing the problem, they are treating the symptom.  (I have to insert a note here.  I am in no way saying M.D.s don't have value.  They certainly do, and I never hesitate to see one when I think its necessary.  But you you wouldn't go see your M.D. doctor for a cavity filling.  Different problems require different specialist, and chiropractors should be part of that equation).  

The second, is concern about the qualifications of a chiropractor to treat your body.  "Did they mail off for their degree?" is a common misconception about chiropractic education.  Actually, no, chiropractic school is on par with any other medical education.  "But they aren't real doctors" is a common statement.  Are they M.D.'s? No.  But then again neither is your dentist, orthodontist, nurse practitioners, EMT's and so many others in the medical field who we regularly go to for treatments and check ups.  But if you must know, chiropractors do put in a lot of hours.  In fact, compared head to head with M.D.'s chiropractors put in more hours of class.  Here's a break down comparison.

 

Chiropractic College                     Class                    Med school

456----------------------------Anatomy/Embryology-----------------215

243--------------------------------Physiology----------------------------174

296--------------------------------Pathology------------------------------507

161--------------------------------Chemistry-----------------------------100

145-------------------------------Microbiology--------------------------113

149--------------------------------Neurology------------------------------171

271-------------------------------X-ray--------------------------------------13

66-------------------------------Psychology/Psychiatry-------------284

168------------------------------Orthopedic--------------------------------2

2,419----------------------------Total Hours-----------------------------2,047

 

Pretty impressive actually.  I found this interesting since I had never seen it broken down this way.  This doesn't address clinical hours so I can't speak to the comparison or if there is any.  I don't want this post to run on too long so I'll leave it at that.  Another post is soon to follow where I'll talk about what your spine has to do with your stomach and other organs, in addition to that knot in your lower back.