People are often suprised to find out that the education recieved at a chiropractic college is quite similar to the education recieved in medical school.  Candidates for chiropracitc school who want to practice in Michigan must complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree prior to entering chiropractic school.  Also, the education of a chiropractor is similar in total classroom hours to that of a medical doctor.

The authors of a study published in the professional journal Alternative Therapies reviewed the curricula of chiropractic colleges and medical schools across the country.  They found that basic science courses comprise nearly 30 percent of the total hours in both chiropractic and medical school programs, and the two programs have comparable hours in biochemistry, microbiology and pathology.  Chiropractors  recieve more training in anatomy and physiology,  while medical physicians recieve more training in public health.

The 4,826 hours of classroom instruction in chiropractic school include 1,420 hours in basic science, 1,975 hours in diagnostic and treatment methods, and 1,405 hours in clinical internship.

Chiropractic colleges focus on chiropractic principles, diagnosis, orthopedics, physiologic therapeutics and nutrition.  Three areas - manipulative/adjustive techniques/spinal analysis, physical/clinical laboratory diagnosis, and diagnostic imaging - account for more than half of the education in clinical sciences.  During their internship, chiropractors complete two years of hands-on clinical experience focusing on manipulation/adjustment as the primary treatment procedure.  The emphasis in chiropractic clinical sciences in clearly on diagnosis and manipulative/adjustive therapy.

A flyer from the Parker Foundation entitled “How Well Educated is Your Chiropractor” also compared the education recieved in chiropractic and medical schools.  They found that chiropractic students recieve more training than their medical counterparts in the following areas: Anatomy, physiology, bacteriology, diagnosis, x-ray, and orthopedics.  Medical students recieve more instruction in: Pathology, chemistry, psychiatry, and obstetrics/gynecology.

These two studies show that both chiropractic and medical programs are very demanding in the number of hours devoted to basic sciences.  They also show that chiropractic schools actually devote more time to the basic and clinical sciences than medical schools.  As the Alternative Therapies study concludes, “the educational training of medical and chiropractic doctors has much in common… In terms of basic science (i.e., the types of subjects covered and the amount of time allotted to each subject), the programs are more similar than dissimilar.”

Foe more information contact Dr. Eric DeRusha at Paint Creek Chiropractic in Rochester, Michigan.  248-601-4540

By Dr. Eric DeRusha 

Even though you may be living with back pain, sciatica, migraines, asthma, and other discomforts, it is likely that you pay more attention to your hair and teeth than your spine.  

But, I’m going to cut you a little slack because until now, that has been largely due to a lack of awareness or understanding of exactly how the position of the spine and posture influences various parts of the body, and is often the root cause of a surprising range of health problems. 

Welcome to Paint Creek Chiropractic’s blog site. Dedicated to offering fresh, current and informative insight into achieving health and wellness without drugs, surgery or long-term treatments that “patch” the pain, but never really eliminate it, or correct the root cause of it.   

The basis of this blog and my practice in Rochester, MI is spinal care. So, in an effort to create awareness of the importance of spinal care and its impact on energy level, agility, aches, pain and overall wellness, I am reaching out to anyone who has been living with ailments or discomfort that cannot be, or have not been, successfully treated medically or pharmaceutically.    And, I am especially focused on grabbing the attention of parents of young children – it is important that you know how you can assure your children will grow healthy with the benefits of chiropractic care so that they will not be subjected to the dangers of drugs and surgery.  I am one of only approximately 300 chiropractors in the world who is certified in Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP). Scientifically based, CBP consists of three facets - adjustments, traction and exercises.  Each facet focuses on “mirror imaging” the current position of the spine and posture.  By countering (“mirror imaging”) the spine’s unnatural position, the muscles, ligaments and nervous system are “reeducated” and begin to reposition the spine to its normal or near normal, position.  Throughout the treatment cycle, which can range from 15 to 35 sessions, patients often notice improvement in their breathing, energy level, sleep pattern or even their golf swing.  All of these benefits are value-added “bonuses” while the patient begins experiencing consistent relief from the original pain or discomfort they initially sought to alleviate.    Essentially, CBP offers an effective, non-invasive option for treating an amazing range of common debilitating physical conditions – from low back pain, which 80% of the population will experience during their adult life, migraines, from which approximately 28 million Americans suffer, to asthma, which affects 15 million people and 1 in 15 children.   Believe it – the position of your spine prompts these conditions and getting your spine back to normal, or as near normal as possible, can alleviate them. This blog will continue to explain how and why.