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The benefits of being a chiropractor are vast.
Whether it’s helping someone stay active, achieve a better quality of life, or avoid drugs and surgery, a Chiropractic career is exceedingly rewarding.
The Top 5 Benefits of Being a Chiropractor
No two days are the same, and there is always something to learn.
While the list is long, here are the top 5 favorite benefits of being a Chiropractor.
1. The Impact a Chiropractor has on Their Patients
The best part of being a Chiropractor is the profound impact we have on our patients.
Chiropractors are “point of entry” doctors, meaning people can see a Chiropractor without being referred by their primary care physician.
In most cases, we are the first to hear a patient’s problem and help them find the best way to resolve their pain or initiate the path to healing.
For many people, Chiropractic care yields immediate relief.
Nothing is better than seeing a patient shuffle into my office in so much pain they can hardly move, only to walk out standing up tall with almost no pain.
Focusing on musculoskeletal conditions provides a unique perspective on correcting the cause of neck and low back pain for long-term relief, which is a less invasive perspective than MD’s and DO’s who rely on drugs and surgery to provide temporary relief.
Beginning twenty years ago, medical doctors turned toward Opioids to manage all aspects of pain and discomfort.
The tragic result has been an alarming rise in addiction, personal destruction, and overdose.
The CDC reports that in 2020, drug overdose deaths in America reached an all-time high of 93,331(2).
"We have loved this! We have already had 5 patient reacts from the emails in one week!"
Dr. Matthew Barnhart, DC
Triple Crown Chiropractic & Wellness
Of those deaths, 60% were tied directly to opioids and resulted in 69,710 deaths, predominantly due to chronic opioid addiction that progressed to synthetic opioids.
Namely, Fentanyl (1).
This lethal trend has led to a shift in treatment towards conservative treatments for conditions such as low back pain.
With this shift towards more holistic treatments, the Chiropractor is a great asset in a patient’s comprehensive healthcare team.
Integrative Healthcare
Chiropractors work with other providers, including nutritionists, physical therapists, and primary care physicians, to provide the best package of techniques to craft a more effective result for patients.
Even in smaller offices, Chiropractors can have strong referral networks with other practitioners in their area to gain access to all care methods and best practices.
Because Chiropractic care is so hands-on, no two Chiropractors are the same.
Although the fundamentals are standardized throughout the profession, spinal manipulation techniques that work best for the 6-foot tall doctor in my office don’t work as well for me at 5 foot 3, and vice versa.
But with so many adjusting techniques and treatment options, a chiropractor can tailor treatment methods to ensure the best results for their patients.
The range of treatment options allows Chiropractors to fine-tune an individual treatment plan to determine the root cause, develop an integrated path forward, and follow a personalized treatment plan to help you achieve your healthcare goals.
2. Chiropractors Never Stop Learning
Chiropractors tend to be life-long learners.
Between continuing education classes and new research articles, there is always something to study.
In addition to all the initial education, Chiropractors are continuously learning from their patients how a condition presents can vary slightly from one person to the next.
What one person describes as 10/10 pain might be 5/10 pain to someone else.
Patient interaction and individual interpretation of pain is a career-long learning experience.
Get This
Chiropractors have a breadth of expertise that spans anatomy, physiology, emerging treatments, rare and interesting conditions to business plans, customer service, insurance bureaucracy, and marketing.
“The person who stops studying merely because he has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what may be his calling. The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.” -Napoleon Hill.
There is never a dull moment in the life of a Chiropractor.
Most Chiropractic offices are locally owned and operated, which creates a whole new set of challenges unrelated to patient care and treatment options.
Just this week in my small office, we had calls with our insurance biller, an electrical problem, a co-management call with an outside provider to discuss a patient, and we hosted a booth at a local health fair.
Not all weeks are this busy, but overcoming these small business challenges is a rewarding part of being a Chiropractor and provides depth to the experience.
3. Chiropractors Have a Range of Treatment Options
Chiropractors do more than adjust the spine.
Chiropractors look at the patient’s overall health and wellness.
They may incorporate nutrition, massage, corrective exercises, or modalities like therapeutic ultrasound and laser therapy.
Know This
Chiropractors undergo a minimum of three and a half years of postgraduate studies that include in-depth courses in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, therapeutic exercises, and therapeutic modalities.
Some universities have even integrated their classes, creating an environment where Chiropractic students are in the same courses as other health professionals, such as Physicians Assistants.
After all this schooling, Chiropractors have a vast knowledge of conditions outside spine-related issues.
Chiropractors can even specialize in areas like Pediatrics, Orthopedics, and Neurology.
A benefit most Chiropractors take for granted is the access to the care they have.
Whether there is another doctor in your office or you see a colleague down the street, there is always a Chiropractor to adjust you and an office full of treatment equipment to keep you performing at your peak.
4. Chiropractors are Always Sharing Their Knowledge
Mindset Matters
A Chiropractor is a teacher.
The focus on education is always tethered to the patient’s health care goals.
Each new condition becomes an opportunity to inform your patients on what is happening to them, how you are planning on helping them, and how the treatment will be assessed.
This can be challenging at times as you try to explain a complex condition or physiological process to an individual with no background in anatomy, but achieving understanding is extremely rewarding.
5. Chiropractors are Always Active While Working
Chiropractic is a dynamic profession.
Chiropractors spend most of their day on their feet, moving between treatment rooms, treating patients, performing different modalities, and demonstrating exercises for their patients to perform.
They are never in one place for long and usually sit down only long enough to finish patient notes.
Pro Tip
If you dread the idea of sitting in a cubical every day, then Chiropractic might be the profession for you.
Chiropractic is a unique profession that looks at the overall wellbeing of a person and actively integrates all disciplines and “best practices” to attain optimal evidence-based wellness goals.
It is a profession with many benefits that will keep you constantly moving and mentally engaged.
Chiropractic is a Profession Full of Passionate People
They care about the treatments they provide and are motivated to improve the quality of life for their patients.
For these and many other reasons, I fell in love with Chiropractic.
I have found my journey to becoming a Chiropractor to be exceedingly gratifying and wouldn’t change a thing.