Chiropractic
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a healing discipline firmly grounded in science. Although its main focus is the relationship between the skeleton (particularly the spine) and the nervous system that runs through it, chiropractic is concerned with the care of the entire body. Chiropractors use various diagnostic methods, including x-rays, to discover the state of your health, paying particular attention to your spine and bone structure. Spinal manipulation and other manual adjustments are their primary methods of helping your body heal itself.
What do Chiropractors do?
Doctors of Chiropractic are primary care/primary contact health care professionals. Chiropractors focus on the spine in relation to the total body and specialize in the understanding and treatment of its component bone structures, muscles and nerves. No referral is necessary to consult a chiropractor.
Licensing, Regulations & Policies
When you visit or consult a Doctor of Chiropractic in Alberta, you can trust in his or her professional ability and conduct because the profession is strictly governed by the College of Chiropractors of Alberta. Alberta's chiropractors must prove their expertise and good character before obtaining their registration with the College. Once registered they are closely monitored on an ongoing basis.
To obtain their license, Alberta chiropractors must be graduates of an accredited chiropractic college and pass stringent national examinations.
Doctors of Chiropractic in the province must abide by the chiropractic profession Act as well as comprehensive regulations, by-laws and codes of ethics established by the College of Chiropractors of Alberta. The College regularly monitors Alberta's chiropractors through a Practice Review Board. It also responds judiciously to any disciplinary concerns. Alberta chiropractors are required to keep up their studies with a mandatory program of 75 hours of continuing education over each three-year period.
Like many other professions, including medicine and law, chiropractic is self governed. The College of Chiropractors of Alberta is committed to ensure accountability and protection of the public. Given the investment chiropractors make in their education and practice, you can be assured of their commitment to uphold their profession and protect their patient's best interests.
Education and Training
Doctors of Chiropractic require a minimum of 7 years post graduate study, and must pass rigorous National and Provincial licencing exams. The study of chiropractic draws on modern scientific knowledge and techniques, balanced with a philosophy of natural healing. Students pursuing a career in the profession study for about the same time as a medical doctor and also cover many of the same subjects, such as anatomy, physiology and pathology. However, the core of the education and training for doctors of chiropractic is in the treatment of the spine and central nervous system. Chiropractic study is directed toward the integration of biological systems to restore and maintain health.
College Prerequisites
To qualify for chiropractic college, applicants must complete a minimum three years of undergraduate study at a Canadian university or its equivalent. It is strongly recommended that they complete one full course in organic chemistry and biology, one-half course in introductory psychology and at least one and one-half courses in the humanities and/or social sciences. Students need to achieve grades well above average to compete for placement in the colleges. Admission is also contingent upon abilities and intentions reflected in an essay and personal interview.
Chiropractic College
Once accepted at an accredited chiropractic college, students are launched into a rigorous program of study -- 4500 hours of clinical and course work spanning four to five academic years -- to prepare them for practice.
Courses in anatomy, physiology, histology, pathology, microbiology, radiology and laboratory diagnosis give students a firm understanding of body processes in health and disease. Clinical training, including a lengthy internship program, provides knowledge in areas such as systems diagnosis and treatment protocols.
Doctors of Chiropractic are educated as primary care physicians with an emphasis on neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. Aspiring practitioners must demonstrate the diagnostic ability to recognize which ailments they can safely treat and which should be referred for other care.
Education in therapeutic techniques includes both teaching of palpation and instruction on how to adjust the spine and all joints of the body. More than 600 course hours and the majority of the internship period are focused on competency in spinal adjustment. Chiropractic doctors are experts in spinal and peripheral joint adjustment.
