“What are the similarities and differences between being a chiropractor and being a physician such as a MD or do?”

Answering a recent question I was asked… essentially compare and contrast how a Chiropractor and an MD manage a patient’s care.

Depending on state political battles, many states recognize chiropractors as a physician. In some states, TX for instance political groups were able to push through legislation that suddenly disallowed the distinction.

None-the-less, that’s not what you were asking about!

The reality is that there will be a large variance in both the MD (assuming gen practice type) and DC.

What should be essentially the same is the history, consultation, examination, ordering tests (x-rays, mri, etc), the diagnosis, and referral to a specialist as needed.

In practice, this isn’t always the case. It often depends on the particular practice.

The major difference between Medical and Chiropractic Practices is generally more with how the patient is treated.

Chiropractors focus on receptor based treatments (treatments that involve some type of physical stimuli) whereas MDs tend to focus on medication based treatments.

Chiropractors use a variety of treatments to change the way that the body is functioning without medication or surgery.

This includes what we’re most known for – spinal adjustments/manipulation. It also includes a large number of other treatments including extremity adjustments, muscular/soft tissue work, various types of physiotherapy, stretching, strengthening, etc.

It also includes, in most cases, lifestyle advice that can help an individual recover more quickly and feel better while often reducing risks for other health problems.

The best approach to some conditions is to utilize both MDs and a Chiropractor in order to help a patient get better as quickly as possible.

Of course, often chiropractic can take care of the problem itself also. This is often the case with various pain based conditions that involve the musculoskeletal system whether it be from a recent injury or repetitive stress. A variety of other conditions generally respond very, very well to chiropractic treatment including different types of headaches, dizziness/vertigo, and coordination issues.