Before I begin, let us set some ground rules. We are not talking about PhD’s or Ed.D’s or any other scholarly Doctorates in this post.

So, I have found the need to go to a Chiropractor of late. I have never been to a Chiropractor ever in my whole life. I never found the need and frankly, I didn’t believe they did anything of any value. I am a changed man. I must say, I have never felt better. I have gone about 7 times of the last few weeks and today is my last visit. I don’t know if it is psychological or physical, but my back and neck have never felt better. It also could be the new orthodics I am wearing. Another first for me. Regardless, I have never felt better.

But here is the thing that has been bothering me. The Chiropractor I go to calls himself “Dr. Tom”. It is printed right on the front of his polo shirt he is always wearing. His receptionist calls him that. His patients call him that and his profession allows him to call himself that. The big “diploma” on the wall says he has a Doctor of Chiropractic medicine.

But wait! Did he go to medical school? I asked him. He said; “no, well sort of”. He went to Chiropractic school and studied kinesiology in college.  Again, is he really a Doctor? And why can he call himself one? Or is it the parenthesis’s in his “Dr. Tom” that allows him to call himself that. And why does the medical profession allow Chiropractors the title of Doctor?

By definition a medical doctor is someone who has gone to an accredited medical school and passed a rigorous board exam to become recognized as a licensed doctor of medicine. They are allowed to practice medicine and (here is the important part) allowed to write prescriptions for medicine. This last part is important because when you go to a Chiropractor, they are usually pushing some alternative healthy (Over the counter) solution to your problems. They can’t write prescriptions so they have only this option available to them. Again, why do we call them Doctors?

So, my last visit is today with my Chiropractor Tom. I have not, and will not, call him Doctor. But I will tell him that what ever he did, it helped, and I am grateful. And I will be happy to go back if I ever need to again. But before I do, I will consult with my real Doctor.

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