This section discusses the new direction of Chiropractic Medicine toward becoming a total Health Care Practice, helping to alleviate more than just back pain.
• Chiropractic's new direction - The progress toward Complete Health Care.
• The Chiropractor as a Primary Health Care Specialist.
Chiropractic's new direction - The progress toward Complete Health Care.
A majority of Chiropractors believe in the concept of a "bone being out of place" and hence a quick cure of "putting everything back in alignment". But there are some groups which follow a different philosophy, one that understands that Chiropractic's long-term benefits are much greater than just relief from back pain. Scientifically we know that there is an interdependence between all the systems of our body. When one area becomes adversely affected, it will in turn affect other areas. It isn't a easy process that can be rectified by simply taking a drug, or having surgery, or taking a vitamin, or even getting an adjustment for that matter. Either we are following a proper way of life or we are allowing our body to proceed toward a degenerative condition faster than it needs to. The new direction of Chiropractic is about helping the body progress toward good health.
The Chiropractor as a Primary Health Care Specialist.
You might be surprised to learn that Chiropractors can treat far more than traditional back aches. Being a primary care provider, Chiropractors can work with most every aspect of health & first aid, nutrition, exercise, therapy, injury treatment, etc.
In daily practice, I routinely provide first aid to my patients, and deal with cuts and scrapes, more serious wounds, colds and flu, aches and pains, etc. As a Chiropractor, I provide the health care services for which I have been trained and qualified. When the injury or sickness is determined to be a medical case, my patient will be referred to a clinic or hospital at which I have a good working relationship -- much in the same way your Family Doctor has traditionally done.
At the moment, very few Chiropractors work as General Practitioners, but as more and more upcoming Chiropractic Doctors expand the scope of their training and knowledge beyond the traditional realm of their field, this will be begin to change. The Chiropractic profession is the perfect primary care provider because Chiropractors specialize in prevention and maintenance. It is only when the problem is diagnosed as more serious that it becomes necessary to use stronger measures to support the health of the individual.
