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This article was recently posted on Monster Healthcare. Any thoughts? Do you think it's a marketing ploy?
Thinking about a Chiropractic Career?
by Megan Malugani
A healthy number of Americans enjoy access to chiropractic care these days, but that hasn't always been the case. For the last few decades, chiropractors have had to work hard to bring their profession into the mainstream and to validate their holistic approach to healthcare.
Now that they have taken some huge steps forward, the need for chiropractors is growing. Here's a glimpse of what it means to be a chiropractor and why an increasing number of people are seeking them to treat a variety of ills.
The Basics
Chiropractic is an "American-born profession" that dates back to 1895 in Davenport, Iowa, according to J. Michael Flynn, DC (doctor of chiropractic), former chairman of the board of the American Chiropractic Association. Since then, chiropractors have been diagnosing and treating patients whose health problems are associated with the body's muscular, nervous and skeletal systems.
The chiropractic approach to healthcare is holistic, stressing the patient's overall health and wellness. "It's a drugless profession," Flynn says. "We use common sense and recognize that many lifestyle factors affect health, including nutrition and exercise." In some cases, chiropractors manually adjust the spinal column. They may also use water, light, massage, ultrasound, electric and heat therapy.
An Entrepreneurial Environment
Chiropractors usually work in solo or group practices, and some work in corporate settings, says George Goodman, DC, president of Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis. Solo practices are the most common. "A lot of chiropractors have the desire to be their own boss," Goodman says.
Renee Tornatore, DC, is one chiropractor who is an entrepreneur at heart. She put out her shingle in Corydon, Indiana, soon after graduating from Logan College of Chiropractic a few years ago and hasn't had any trouble rounding up business. "My practice is as busy as I want it to be," Tornatore says. She sees about 80 to 100 patients in a typical day and gets 60 percent of her business through patient-to-patient referrals. "It's the best profession to get into in terms of helping people," she says. "The financial rewards are amazing, and it's a growing field."
According to a 2003 survey by Chiropractic Economics, the median net income for a chiropractor in solo practice after expenses was between $90,000 and $104,000; chiropractors in groups or partnerships earned higher incomes
A Growing Demand
Although chiropractors have a long history in the US, it's only in the last 30 years that chiropractic care has become tightly woven in the fabric of American healthcare. During those years, chiropractors have fought for recognition from Medicare and private health insurers, and they've faced off against medical groups opposed to chiropractic care. Winning those battles has helped push chiropractic into the mainstream. Even more important, however, may be several scientific studies that have shown the effectiveness of chiropractic care and the popularity among consumers.
American healthcare consumers have been increasingly interested in all forms of complementary and alternative healthcare services in recent years, and chiropractic is the most popular modality, Flynn adds. Results of a 1998 study by the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention showed 17 percent of Americans used chiropractic care in the previous year. "In many studies, chiropractic leads the list as the number one treatment alternative," Flynn says. "As more information is available to consumers and they are able to pick their providers of choice, chiropractic will continue to grow."
Thinking about a Chiropractic Career?
by Megan Malugani
A healthy number of Americans enjoy access to chiropractic care these days, but that hasn't always been the case. For the last few decades, chiropractors have had to work hard to bring their profession into the mainstream and to validate their holistic approach to healthcare.
Now that they have taken some huge steps forward, the need for chiropractors is growing. Here's a glimpse of what it means to be a chiropractor and why an increasing number of people are seeking them to treat a variety of ills.
The Basics
Chiropractic is an "American-born profession" that dates back to 1895 in Davenport, Iowa, according to J. Michael Flynn, DC (doctor of chiropractic), former chairman of the board of the American Chiropractic Association. Since then, chiropractors have been diagnosing and treating patients whose health problems are associated with the body's muscular, nervous and skeletal systems.
The chiropractic approach to healthcare is holistic, stressing the patient's overall health and wellness. "It's a drugless profession," Flynn says. "We use common sense and recognize that many lifestyle factors affect health, including nutrition and exercise." In some cases, chiropractors manually adjust the spinal column. They may also use water, light, massage, ultrasound, electric and heat therapy.
An Entrepreneurial Environment
Chiropractors usually work in solo or group practices, and some work in corporate settings, says George Goodman, DC, president of Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis. Solo practices are the most common. "A lot of chiropractors have the desire to be their own boss," Goodman says.
Renee Tornatore, DC, is one chiropractor who is an entrepreneur at heart. She put out her shingle in Corydon, Indiana, soon after graduating from Logan College of Chiropractic a few years ago and hasn't had any trouble rounding up business. "My practice is as busy as I want it to be," Tornatore says. She sees about 80 to 100 patients in a typical day and gets 60 percent of her business through patient-to-patient referrals. "It's the best profession to get into in terms of helping people," she says. "The financial rewards are amazing, and it's a growing field."
According to a 2003 survey by Chiropractic Economics, the median net income for a chiropractor in solo practice after expenses was between $90,000 and $104,000; chiropractors in groups or partnerships earned higher incomes
A Growing Demand
Although chiropractors have a long history in the US, it's only in the last 30 years that chiropractic care has become tightly woven in the fabric of American healthcare. During those years, chiropractors have fought for recognition from Medicare and private health insurers, and they've faced off against medical groups opposed to chiropractic care. Winning those battles has helped push chiropractic into the mainstream. Even more important, however, may be several scientific studies that have shown the effectiveness of chiropractic care and the popularity among consumers.
American healthcare consumers have been increasingly interested in all forms of complementary and alternative healthcare services in recent years, and chiropractic is the most popular modality, Flynn adds. Results of a 1998 study by the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention showed 17 percent of Americans used chiropractic care in the previous year. "In many studies, chiropractic leads the list as the number one treatment alternative," Flynn says. "As more information is available to consumers and they are able to pick their providers of choice, chiropractic will continue to grow."
