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Is a chiropractor a physician

Updated: 10/10/2023
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14y ago

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If by physician you mean a medical doctor a chiropractor is not a physician.

Chiropractic care is considered to be complementary and alternative medicine by mainstream healthcare. Chiropractors are not licensed to provide primary medical care, perform major surgery or write medical prescriptions in the United States. However there are standard requirements an individual must meet to qualify for a license to practice and chiropractic care is the largest alternative medical profession in the US.

Most people seek chiropractic services for neck and Back pain. There are many online sources of information that describe the treatments offered by chiropractors and the many different schools of techniques. In the United States most health plans cover chiropractic services, however, one should make certain the services are covered by their insurance plan before engaging the services of a chiropractor. Opinions differ as to the efficacy of chiropractic treatment.

From the US Department of Labor: Licensure. All States and the District of Columbia regulate the practice of chiropractic and grant licenses to chiropractors who meet the educational and examination requirements established by the State. All doctors must be licensed to practice in the US. Some States have agreements permitting chiropractors licensed in one State to obtain a license in another without further examination, provided that their educational, examination, and practice credentials meet State specifications.

Most State licensing boards require at least 2 years of undergraduate education, but an increasing number are requiring a 4-year bachelor's degree. All boards require the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited chiropractic college leading to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree.

For licensure, most State boards recognize either all or part of the four-part test administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. State examinations may supplement the National Board tests, depending on State requirements. All States except New Jersey require the completion of a specified number of hours of continuing education each year in order to maintain licensure. Chiropractic associations and accredited chiropractic programs and institutions offer continuing education programs.

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14y ago
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12y ago

A chiropractor has earned a degree as a D.C., or Doctor of Chiropractic. This is not the same thing as an M.D., or D.O., which are Doctors of Medicine and Doctors of Osteopathy.

A chiropractor, however, is a primary care physician and has the ability to diagnose and refer to the proper specialist when appropriate.

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12y ago

It depends what you mean by medical degree. The Doctor of Chiropractic degree (D.C.) is the academic degree given to chiropractors. All degrees in chiropractic are considered to be first professional degrees. A first professional degree is defined as a degree required by law to practice a given profession. Medical degrees such as M.D. and D.O degrees are also first professional degrees.

A D.C. is considered a "primary health care" provider in the United States and Canada. Which means that a patient does not require a referral from another physician to seek treatment from a chiropractor.

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14y ago

No a chiropractor is not a medical doctor (MD) and cannot prescribe medication. A chiropractor is a doctor of chiropractic (DC).

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9y ago

No, they have Chiropractic degrees.

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