Overrated Career: Chiropractor
By Marty NemkoPosted December 11, 2008
The Appeal: You can treat disease, even if you don't have the grades for a top medical school, and you can also set up shop as a solo operator. It's especially alluring to people with misgivings about mainstream medicine.
The Reality: Some chiropractors think their discipline can cure everything from headaches to sciatica, asthma to premenstrual syndrome. But efficacy is often less than many practitioners claim, even in curing chiropractic's meat and potatoes: low back pain. A 2007 report from the National Institutes of Health said, "For patients whose low back pain does not improve with conventional medications, education, and self-care, clinicians should consider adding one or more of seven alternative or complementary approaches" of which one is chiropractic. The report continues, "None of these are 'fabulous' or first-line treatments for LBP but [some] popular CAM therapies have a moderate effect on chronic low back pain."
Many chiropractors also devote considerable time to marketing—in part to pay back the cost of chiropractic school, usually well over $100,000. Yet according to payscale.com, as of Oct. 25, 2008, the average salary of a chiropractor with five to nine years of experience is $61,542.
On the downsides of this profession: chirobase.com. For a more positive view, see the American Chiropractic Association site, which represents chiropractors.
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Reader Comments
Mitchell Davis of MO
Dec 21, 2008 12:06:27 PM
Chiropractic Career
The failure rate among chiropractors is very high. A large percentage of chiropractors are unable to earn a living in the profession. For proof of this one only has to study the default rate for H.E.A.L loans-Health Education Assistance Loans.
Jobs are almost nonexistant-usually chiropractors must start their own practice to have a chance of succeeding. In private practice it can be hard to get enough patients to earn a decent living. Dr. Nemko has done an excellent job of uncovering the "truth" about many over-rated careers. This information is often hard to come by because the professions are usually promoted and represented by trade groups. For example, most of the information about the chiropractic profession is obtained from the American Chiropractic Association whose function is to promote the chiropractic profession. I am a successful chiropractor but I also agree with much of what Dr. Nemko has to say. Dr. Nemko is warning people that for the time and expense involved, there may be better options than chiropractic.
Many chiropractic students are misled into thinking that they will become just like a regular doctors- except without the surgery or medication. Students don't realize that without the medication and surgeries, it is hard to be a "real doctor." Chiopractics often end becoming something more like a physical therapist. The insurance companies through their reimbursement policies also seem to view chiropractors along the line of a physical therapist.
Chiropractors, however, don't have the job opportunities that physical therapists have. Very few clinics or hospitals hire chiropractors. An advantage of chiropractic is that we have direct access to patients in all states. Physical therapists, however, are seeking direct access to patients and will likely succeed in this goal.
Chiropractic can be effective at helping people with neck and back problems but was founded on a false belief system that manipulating the spine can remove nerve interference and help with virtually every conceivable disease/ disorder. Too many chiropractors continue to perpetuate the fallacy that manipulation of the spine can help treat virtually every human disease. They argue that they don't treat the disease, only the spine. And they argue that, when the spine is in line and the nerve interference is gone, the body will heal itself. This is just a round about way of saying that they treat diseases that are beyond their scope of practice. This is dangerous thinking.
Chiropractic schools are tuition dependent and can't afford to turn down any student who meets the minum standard of a 2.5 G.P.A. The schools then take these academicallly mediocore students and brainwash them throughout the chiropractic program. Students receive little clinical experience treating sick patients prior to becoming licensed. Most of the training prior to graduatinog is treating uncomplicated neck and back pain. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
DebtForLife of GA
Dec 21, 2008 03:12:32 AM
Chirotalk
Again Dr. Nemko…outstanding article!
As a former chiropractor with over 5 years of hands-on, clinical experience I am qualified and can unequivocally say “Chiropractic is dead!”
GO HERE: www.chirotalk.proboards3.com (Chirotalk)
It’s one of the few chiropractic discussion forums run by practicing and ex-chiropractors. It’s probably the only forum that tells the TRUTH regarding the profession with factual information backing it up. Once you begin to glance through the articles you will soon discover that many of threads in Chirotalk have been linked to news paper articles, magazine stories, and most importantly: chiropractic trade journals.
Here is a small sampling of problems:
• Insurance reimbursement for chiropractors has declined every year since 1992 making it nearly impossible to earn enough money to pay down the monstrous student loan debts and live with the essentials in an industrialized society.
• Cults continue to operate in the business aspect of practice (ie. Scientology).
• Worse: The schools are PUMPING OUT over 4,000 new graduates per year into an already oversaturated marketplace.
• Worser: Chiropractic schools are TRADE schools - just like auto mechanics, hair, nails and metal welding. It’s the most overpriced trade profession on earth and the credits DON’T transfer if you decide to get out. You must start over from scratch like a high school student while, at minimum, losing 3.5 YEARS of earning power.
• WORST: The average chiropractor makes around $30,000 per year AFTER getting into approximately $100,000+ in debt - plus 3.5 YEARS of lost wages while attending chiropractic school (4 years of undergraduate education NOT included). The total time wasted for most people: 7.5 years+ !!
In so many words without getting too emotional: I am bound to this unbelievable debt (over $150,000) for the next 30 years of my life. I haven’t dated in 4 years and can’t due to my embarrassing financial situation. I ‘break even’ at the end of every month. I’ve been holding on ‘loosely’ for the past 3 years. I get depressed about the thought of just ‘keeping my lips above water’ and existing for the next 30+ years on this earth.
After the five year graduation point ONLY ONE person is still in practice (out of 6 friends) because he took over his fathers practice. Thank you for the reality check – chiropractic is a dead career.
I only pray that other people will understand what has recently happened in the healthcare industry and choose not to acquire a ‘doctorate’ degree (D.C., M.D., D.O., etc.).
Joseph Busch of IN
Dec 11, 2008 20:58:22 PM
... that's irresponsible
This article seems to be incredibly biased, and although it does resemble a previous article published by US News and World Report, draws the offensive conclusion that those that become chiropractors did so as a consequence of low grades.
I find this as irresponsible journalism, and a direct attack on a profession that has helped many to attain an improved quality of life.
... Many D.C.'s do it for the purpose of helping people, and not necessarily the cash.
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