No. While all certified Doctors of Chiropractic have
undergone the same basic training, how and what they practice is as varied as
the number of individual chiropractors. Different chiropractic colleges have
different philosophies or approaches, and so naturally their students do as
well.
One basic
distinction you may find is whether the individual chiropractor or chiropractic
office is more "straight," meaning adhering to the basic description
and philosophy of Chiropractic developed by its founder D.D. Palmer in the 1890s. Such an approach tends to focus on
spinal adjustments as the primary mode of treatment. Far more common these days
is a more "mixed" approach, meaning that the practitioners are open
to advances in conventional medical techniques. The latter practitioners are
more open to working hand-in-hand with medical doctors or practitioners of
other healing techniques, and may expand their practice to include
recommendations on exercise, proper diet, and other therapies that promote
holistic health.
Another
distinction is that many Doctors of Chiropractic have gone on to advanced
studies, and have taken courses to become certified in chiropractic
specialties. Doctors who have received post-doctoral certification as a CCEP
(Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner), for example, specialize in the
treatment of displacements of the arms, legs, shoulders, feet, ankles, or the
soft tissue surrounding these extremities. A Certified Chiropractic Wellness
Practitioner (CCWP) may focus more on the overall health of his or her
patients, and on helping them to adopt healthy lifestyle changes. Similar
post-doctoral certifications exist for Certified Chiropractic Rehabilitation
Doctors (CCSD), Chiropractic Certification in Spinal Trauma (CCST), and
Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner (CCSP). The latter tend to focus on
sports-related injuries and on performance enhancement therapies for athletes.
So there is a wide variation in the training that individual chiropractors may
have received.
In addition,
although many of the basic techniques of spinal manipulation are the same,
there are many specialized treatment methodologies that individual
chiropractors may offer. For example, the Active Release Treatment (ART)
developed and patented by P. Micheal Leahy, or the Cox Flexion Distraction
Technique developed by Dr. James M. Cox, or the Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT)
developed by osteopath and chiropractor Major Bertrand DeJarnette. All of these
specialized approaches may be of benefit when dealing with specific disorders,
and not every chiropractor is trained in all of them. Many clinics either
specialize in one or one set of these treatment methodologies, or provide a
balance of them by hiring several chiropractors, each of whom specializes in
one or more of them.
In general it
is best, when looking for a chiropractor to help you either regain your health
after an injury or maintain a high a level of good health, to research the
individual chiropractor or their clinics by reading their websites or asking
for referrals from other health practitioners you trust. Every chiropractor can
help you to achieve the more balanced state of natural health you seek, but
some may have specialized training or approaches that can help you to achieve
it more quickly.
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