Question
Hello, i am doing a High School Research project on Chiropractics could you please answer the following questions, thanks.
1.What do you actually do in your job?
2.What is a typical day like?
3.Are there any high school or college/technical school subjects that would be helpful if i were to enter this line of work?
4.What is the average starting salary, and after 5 years?
5.How large is the demand for people like you in this field?
6.What are some requirements?
7.If you had to choose a job again would you pick your current job? why?
8.What are some tips on entering and succeeding in this field?
9. Do you need a license or union membership?
10.How long do you usually work on average per day and or week.

                      Thanks Stephen Frey

Answer
Hi Steve,

I'd be glad to help you with your project. Answers to your questions:

1. I evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with musculoskeletal disorders utilizing manual manipulation techniques. When appropriate, I discuss nutritional, exercise, and rehabilitation recommendations with patients. As part of the patient's health care team, I interact with other physicians and health care providers to assist in the coordination of the patient's overall health care.

2. A typical day varies quite a bit. Some days, I see the same conditions: arthritis, disc herniations, low back pain and neck pain, shoulder and rotator cuff problems, and muscle problems. On other days, I may see patients who have more serious conditions that require surgery, prescription medications, or muscle or joint injections. I practice in a medical facility, so I interact on a daily basis with a medical doctor, nurse practitioner, radiologic technologists, and lab technicians, and we co-treat the patient as needed.

For example, a patient may come to see me for neck pain or back pain, but when we take the patient's vitals, we may find that they have undiagnosed hypertension, or if we do urine analysis, we may find that they have kidney disease, or if we do blood work, we may find that they have out of control cholesterol or triglycerides. Then I work with the medical physician to treat the patient accordingly.

Patients with musculoskeletal pain frequently need pain medication, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxers, which I can't prescribe, but when I discuss the patient's condition with the medical doctor in the clinic, he is able to meet with the patient on the spot and prescribe the appropriate medications.

3. A good pre-chiropractic background for a high school student would be anatomy and physiology. For college students interested in going to chiropractic school after college, they would take the basic sciences courses required for chiropractic school entrance. These are detailed on the websites of any accredited chiropractic college.

4. Salaries vary very widely, based on location, and the type of practice. Nationwide, as an average, I would estimate the average chiropractic salary to be between $50,000 to $70,000 per year. This is just my estimate, however.

5. To be honest, I think that the demand for chiropractic services is low at the present time. Chiropractors have traditionally seen about 10 to 12% of the population, usually for low back pain and neck pain. Chiropractors typically receive poor reimbursements through insurance companies, and most insurance companies now limit the amount of visits and treatment modalities that patients may receive under the terms of their insurance coverage.

6. I'm not sure what you mean by requirements. If you are referring to requirements to enter chiropractic school, these can be find on the websites of chiropractic colleges. If you are referring to requirements for licensure, these are determined by individual states, and can be found on the websites of state boards for chiropractic.

7. If I had to choose this career again, I would not choose to enter chiropractic. The profession has never succeeded in uniformly standardizing its identity as musculoskeletal specialists. Elements of the chiropractic profession see chiropractic as a separate and unique health care alternative. Others still adhere to outdated concepts as to what they think they do as chiropractors. Many in the profession would like to be able to integrate more fully with the medical profession. That is why I have chosen to go to medical school, after which I will practice as a D.C. and an M.D. As stated above, chiropractors now receive some of the lowest reimbursements from insurance companies for their services.

If someone was interested in performing manual therapy as a licensed professional, I would recommend that they go to physical therapy school or massage therapy school. While the knowledge and skill I learned to be a doctor of chiropractic surpasses that of a PT or an MT, the economics of practicing chiropractic in today's volatile health care environment do not make it worth it.

8. Tips for success in chiropractic: dedication to excellence, honesty, integrity, strong sense of ethics, and a desire to do what is best for the patient.

9. Yes, you need to be licensed to practice chiropractic.

10. A typical chiropractor probably works between 40 to 60 hours per week. As a medical student, I work about 10 hours per week as a chiropractor, since my main job now is studying for medicine.


For further information regarding the chiropractic profession, I recommend this website:

http://chiropracticreport.com/portal/

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