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Chiropractors are there to help improve our health using an alternative treatment method. Spinal adjustments are safe, natural, and holistic. But does it require prescription drugs? Are chiropractors allowed to prescribe drugs at all? Let’s take a closer look.
Can Chiropractors Prescribe Drugs?
Doctors of Chiropractic are not actually licensed to write medical prescriptions. This is similar to how they are not allowed to perform surgery. In fact, their philosophy goes against the use of medications and invasive procedures. It’s a profession that makes use of natural healing. They strive to avoid the potential dangerous side effects of medications.
That said, chiropractors sometimes work with their patient’s physician to get the best results. Both types of treatment, conventional and alternative, have their merits. They have their advantages. So in those special cases wherein the patient requires both kinds of treatment, the chiropractor and the physician may work together. Medications may be involved.
In most other cases, chiropractors rely on a manual method of adjusting the structure of the body. This is to improve the body’s functions. It is an approach that is designed and selected to reduce pain and stress that the person is suffering from.
We can say that chiropractic treatment, as a field of medicine, is based on holistic healing that involves as little use of medication as possible.
In fact, it is defined by the National Chiropractic Association as a “drug-free, non-surgical science.”
Working with Medical Physicians
Of course, chiropractors are professionals. They will do whatever it takes to improve their patient’s health. They will even recommend another method of treatment if they find that chiropractic care won’t do you any good.
There are instances wherein spinal adjustments aren’t suitable for the patient.
Furthermore, chiropractors recognize the efficacy of medications to relieve extreme pain. If medication is absolutely necessary, then they will work closely with the patient’s medical physician. Ultimately, their goal is to do what is best for their patient.
Medications, homeopathy, naturopathy, general nutritional counseling—these are all simple means to an end. And some of these are more applicable in certain situations than the others. All that said, your chiropractor will not prescribe any medicine on his own.
Special Exceptions
In those instances wherein both natural healing and prescription medications are required, chiropractors and physicians have to rely on each other. But there are some states that have bridged the gap between these two. New Mexico, for example, has recently passed legislation that allows some chiropractors to prescribe medicines.
Although considered controversial, the legislation is valuable to those who are interested in seeking out chiropractic care and making the most out of it. And of course, these chiropractors are required to complete a standardized course before they could prescribe medicines—on top of all the requirements to secure a chiropractic license in the first place.
Chiropractic care, at its root, is different from traditional medical procedures. It seeks to restore and improve the function of the human body by realigning the spine and managing musculoskeletal problems. Whether or not this process will involve medicine is entirely dependent on the person’s condition.
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