Is A Chiropractor A “Real” Doctor?

One of the most commonly asked questions that chiropractors get, surprisingly, is “are chiropractors real doctors?” In the field of medicine, the term “doctor” is applied to so many kinds of people who take different courses and training, receive different certifications, and have different internships. You would never question a dentist’s or a veterinarian’s training, so why wouldn’t you trust a chiropractor’s?

The biggest reason that people question the validity of chiropractors is largely because of a huge lack of information about chiropractors, but a wealth of misinformation about what it is that chiropractors do. At Accident Care Chiropractic, we want every single one of our patients to understand exactly what it is that we do during a chiropractic appointment, and why choosing chiropractic care is the best approach to healing and recovery. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about chiropractors:

What do chiropractors do?

Chiropractic medicine is a holistic approach to medical treatment, with chiropractors focusing more on treating the whole body and person, with emphasis on treating and finding the cause of an issue rather than the symptoms. Specifically, chiropractors are best at treating disorders and illnesses of the neuro-muscular system through manipulation and adjustment of the spine. 

One of the hallmarks of chiropractic medicine is that there is no use of drugs or surgery. Because of the spinal alignment that chiropractors work for, the overall nervous system improves, allowing your body to begin the healing process of problems such as pain and restricted movement.  

What’s the difference between a chiropractor and an MD?

Before we tell you the differences between them, let’s start with the similarities. Chiropractors and MD’s both go through 4 years of a medical school curriculum, followed by at least 1 year of internship. Both have the option of working for large practices or working as solo practitioners. Both MD’s and chiropractors go through extensive training to be able to practice on patients, however, the way they go about their practice is much, much different. 

Since chiropractors are more focused on treating the cause of an illness, chiropractic treatment tends to be longer, though the effects are more long term. Again, chiropractors never use drugs or surgery to treat an issue, so you will never be prescribed anything to mask your pain or discomfort. MD’s are more likely to do this, resulting in short, much more sporadic appointments. However, if you need your appendix removed or any other kind of surgery, an MD is qualified to do this, whereas a chiropractor isn’t. Since more information is more widely known about MD’s rather than chiropractors, the patient pool for chiropractors tends to be more self-selected.  Before you visit any kind of medical professional, you should always to your research to make sure you’re getting the kind of treatment you want.

What are the benefits of chiropractic appointments?

While there are many benefits of seeing a chiropractor regularly, it is important to consider seeing both a chiropractor and an MD to treat whatever may come up. Again, both are qualified to do different things, and depending on what your illness may require, one may be better suited for the course of treatment you need. However, there are some things that are unique to regular chiropractic care that has advantages over other medical care, such as: 

• Migraines and headaches
• Sciatica/nerve pain
• Back pain
• Herniated discs
• Car accident injuries
• Neck pain
• Chronic pain
• Spinal maladjustment
• Sports injuries

Accident Care Chiropractic is the leading chiropractic practice in Oregon and Washington. Thousands of patients have trusted their recovery and treatment to our dedicated team of experienced chiropractors.

Dr. Darren Faherty D.C.

In 2004, Dr. Darren Faherty graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from UWEC - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Dr. Darren continued education at the highly esteemed University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) where he obtained his chiropractic degree in 2007. He has been helping people recover from injuries and return to their normal lifestyles ever since.