Need an Adjustment?

Before beginning university, and before I knew about naturopathic doctors, I originally considered becoming a chiropractor. As I had several sport injuries, I was the patient of quite a few chiropractors across Canada.

This year's manipulation classes finally allow us to complete the final thrust involved in performing a spinal adjustment (or any other joint). Until now we have set the foundation and framework in place by learning: anatomy, physical medicine, orthopedic tests and motion palpations, observed manipulations but did not get to perform the actual adjustment on each other.

The teaching assistant for my practical group sessions is a chiropractic doctor and she busted the myth that it takes a strong male to have good adjustments. Instead, technique is everything! I find getting that perfect adjustment is instant gratification for both practitioner and patient.

I personally know several excellent chiropractic doctors and revere them as musculoskeletal experts much in the same way that a family doctor might revere an orthopedic surgeon. In the future, any difficult musculoskeletal case that I came across, I would not hesitate to refer my patients to them.

What I like about receiving adjustments from a naturopathic doctor (in comparison to other practitioners that can adjust) is that we are well trained in the adjustments that are required for the most common musculoskeletal conditions, take ample of time with each patient, and are not limited to only one form of treatment. Metaphorically, we do not need to hammer something that instead needs a different tool.