Are you skeptical about visiting a chiropractor?
Chiropractic visits can be a little scary the first time. Read more if you're skeptical about a visit to Doctor Hanft.
Chiropractors are well-educated.
Many decades ago, chiropractors graduated with minimal education. Today, however, that’s the farthest thing from the truth. Graduates today complete over 4,000 hours of coursework which is comparable to what medical students graduate with. Furthermore, graduates have to complete numerous “clinical” requirements that prepare them for the practice of chiropractic in everyday life. Lastly, prior to licensure and practicing, chiropractors must pass four National Board parts which consist of both written and practical examinations. These tests are cumulative and test the students’/future chiropractors’ knowledge and ability to properly diagnose, treat, and manage patients.
When you see a chiropractor, you can trust that that doctor has spent the necessary time in the classroom and clinic and has been approved to practice by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Chiropractors in Missouri are also required to be licensed and perform a minimum number of “Continuing Education” credits every year which helps to keep chiropractors knowledgeable and up-to-date on the current trends in health care.
References:
Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc., Washington, DC. Personal communication of 1995
unpublished data from Meredith Gonyea, PhD.
Why fix it if it's not broken?
Unfortunately, this approach to health care is common in the US today. We have come to believe that you only go to the “doctor” if you’re sick or dying. Obviously, this is an extreme case, but most people are willing to let conditions go too long before treating them, thus making it much more difficult to have a positive outcome. Plaque in your arteries builds up. Cholesterol rises. Lower back intervertebral discs break down. Neck degeneration continues unchecked. Headaches increase in frequency and intensity. All of these are common occurrences today.
The ironic thing is that many Americans who practice these health philosophies are sure to change their car oil every 3,000 miles. In other words, they believe in maintenance for their cars but not the most precious “machine” they’ll ever have: their BODY!
In the end, chiropractic can be whatever you want it to be. If you want to be reactive and wait for your back to hurt or for headaches to ruin your day before you seek care, that’s your choice and we respect everyone’s health care choices. But know that it can be better: you can be proactive and start taking care of your body!
Doctors are Doctors. Chiropractors are Chiropractors.
Your notion of a “real” doctor probably conforms to a prototype generated by the mass media. Many have come to think of a doctor as someone who prescribes advice and drugs or performs surgery. Sporting a white lab coat or surgical scrubs with a stethoscope at the neck, doctors are seen as all-knowing, omnipotent and able to save patients in 60 minutes.
A medical doctor (MD) and a chiropractor (DC), while different, have both received a degree from a government accredited medical school or chiropractic college and are licensed to practice.
Medical doctors and chiropractors differ quite a bit in philosophy. Medical doctors typically rely on treatment of particular disorders, usually with medications or surgical intervention, whereas chiropractors attempt to help the patient’s body to heal itself, thus reducing symptoms.
Clearly these are two very different philosophies. Yet each has its place. If you have broken bones or you’re bleeding by the side of the road, you want the heroic lifesaving measures of emergency medical treatment. But if you have chronic aches and pains or an interest in wellness, you may want the health restoration possible that is the focus of chiropractic care.
Ultimately, Dr. Hanft believes that good doctors, whether MD’s or DC’s or Dentists all want the same thing:
To help their patients get better.