The 1,600 state-licensed chiropractors practicing in Washington have finally been rubbed the right way.
Thanks to the passage of two key pieces of legislation, chiropractors' duties have been expanded. That elevates the profession's status in Washington state, which has a healthy demand for chiropractors, said Bruce Frickelton, executive director of the Washington State Chiropractic Association (WSCA).
Chiropractors specialize in treating neuromuscular skeletal problems and how they are related to body joints, the spine and the nervous system. They work with muscles, ligaments and other soft tissue to relieve pain, increase function and promote general well-being.
"Chiropractic care is a great alternative to drugs or surgery and is for somebody looking for a more natural and holistic approach," said Mark Webber, 35, a nine-year sports chiropractor based in Redmond.
"We are more concerned with the subtleties of the neuromuscular system, whereas M.D.s are more concerned with breaks, fractures and organ functions," Webber said.
Employment of chiropractors is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010 as consumer demand for alternative health care grows, according to the 2002-03 Occupational Outlook Handbook produced by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. It notes that chiropractic care of back, neck, extremities and other joint damage is more accepted due to recent research and changing attitudes.
"I think, in general, patients on the West Coast are more open to the complementary or alternative medicines," which give them options to the drugs and surgery, Frickelton said.
In Washington state, recently passed Senate Bill 6264 allows a chiropractor to practice in an official capacity at boxing, kickboxing and martial-arts events.
Webber testified in favor of the bill, which is considered a steppingstone to including other sports as well. Eventually, the WSCA wants to propose a bill giving chiropractors a professional athletic license to work with all professional sports and another allowing them to legally perform physicals on high-school students.
Webber works with professional athletes individually but is not eligible to be an official team doctor. USA Powerlifting Federation athletes are amateurs, so he has the green light to work with them. He has worked other area amateur events such as the Seattle Marathon and motocross.
Online information
Western States Chiropractic College in Portland includes job postings on its Web site at: www.wschiro.edu.
To learn more about Washington chiropractic legislation, see the Washington State Chiropractic Association Web site at www.chirohealth.org, and the Washington State Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission at wws2.wa.gov.
For a national perspective on the profession, see the American Chiropractic Association at www.amerchiro.org.
Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook information on chiropractors at
www.bls.gov/oco/ocos071.htm.
For general educational information, see the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) at www.cce-usa.org.
For links to member institutions, see the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) at www.chirocolleges.org.
Statistics on state licenses can be found at the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards Web site at www.fclb.org.
SB 6264 "will increase the financial opportunity for chiropractors, but even more so, it will increase the awareness and credibility because it will allow more people to see chiropractic in a different capacity in the sporting community," Webber said. That is, chiropractors will not be seen as just treating neck and back pain.
The other bill passed during the last legislative session, House Bill 2501, gives chiropractors the legal right to adjust extremities, and be paid for it, and the right to give advice about nutritional supplements.
Prior to the new law, for instance, chiropractors couldn't treat a patient for a sprained knee unless the person also complained of a spinal problem. And if the chiropractor did treat the knee, he or she couldn't get paid for it.
"From my perspective, that is an absurd law that needed to be changed," said Marc Van Driessche, 39, owner of Van Driessche Chiropractic in Mukilteo and WSCA spokesman in Olympia during the legislative lobbying effort.
Under the new law, a chiropractor can treat a sprained knee, ankle injury or carpel-tunnel syndrome and bill for it — whether or not there's a spinal problem.
The two bills bring Washington law, which has been one of the most restrictive nationwide on what chiropractors can do, more in line with other states' laws.
The new legislation "will broaden slightly the scope of practice in the state of Washington" said Lester Lamm, academic dean at Western States Chiropractic College in Portland and a doctor of chiropractic. To practice, chiropractors must have a doctorate from a chiropractic college — requiring four years of schooling — and a license in the state where they practice.
There are no chiropractic colleges in the state. The nearest is Portland's Western States Chiropractic College.
Chiropractic doctors also must complete 25 hours of continuing education every two years after they're licensed, Frickelton said.
Chiropractors also can specialize, receiving post-graduate certificates. That can qualify them for designations such as Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP). Other specialties include orthopedic, radiologist and nutritionist, all of which have nationally recognized certification programs.
"Getting certified does not affect how much more you can charge," said Van Driessche. "It just helps to better focus on diagnostic skills and your skills as a physician. It's to improve patient care."
Dreessen said a chiropractor can make $60,000 a year right out of college while building a practice. A chiropractor with several years' experience and a strong client base can earn between $150,000 and $500,000 a year.
An associate doctor — who works for another — can earn $2,000 a month immediately after earning a doctorate at a chiropractic school and after having passed the state boards. A high-end salary could reach $5,000 a month.
Webber — a former football and baseball player, track athlete and power lifter — was a teenager when he chose his career. "I considered being an M.D. at first, but when I was a junior in high school, I went to a chiropractor who helped get rid of my migraine.
"Sports was my passion, and chiropractic changed my life, so much so that I decided to become one. What I did was combine my passions."
Referring to his recent testimony in Olympia on chiropractic legislation, Webber said, "I wasn't political at all until five months ago." In a four-month continuing-education program on self-expression and leadership, he was required to complete a project that would affect his community. His assignment? To help change the state chiropractic laws. |
