There are plenty of misconceptions and flat-out myths about chiropractic care. The fact is, chiropractic care is a 125-year-old, evidence-based, licensed healthcare practice that helps millions of people worldwide reduce pain, increase mobility and improve their overall health and well-being – all without drugs or surgery. If you already knew those facts, then here are 10 other things that you might not know about chiropractic care and the doctors who deliver it.

1. DC stands for doctor of chiropractic
2. Doctor of chiropractic programs typically take four years to complete and require at least three years of undergraduate college education for admission, a total of seven years of post-high school education.
3. In many states,DCs can order advanced imaging studies such as MRI, CT and Ultrasound.More than halfof DCs have their own radiology equipment.
4. Doctors of chiropractic focus on patient’s overall health. DCs believe that malfunctioning spinal joints and other somatic tissues interfere with a person’s neuro-musculoskeletal system and can result in poor health.
5. Doctors of chiropractic are not winnable doctors. They choose the DC profession because they want to help the body heal itself and avoid pharmaceutical interventions.
6. The percentage of female DCs has more than doubled – from13.3%in 1991 to27.1%in 2014.
7. Over 40%of DCs are self-employed and own their own clinic.
8. In addition to operating a general chiropractic practice, some DCs specialize in areas such as sports, neurology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, or nutrition, among others.
9. The DC profession began atPalmer School and Cure(now Palmer College of Chiropractic) in Davenport, Iowa in 1897. By 1922, enrolment grew to more than 3,000 students.
10. Doctors of chiropractic practice in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and in many other countries, including Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Switzerland, Australia, Philippines and Japan.