What is chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a medical profession that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system and their effects on nervous system function and overall health. It emphasizes manual treatment, including spinal manipulation and adjustments.
Treatment techniques
There are techniques that apply a targeted push. Sometimes a small sound (“pop”) will be heard. This sound is due to the rapid pressure change within the joint. This technique is also called Diversified Technique and is the most widely used technique in chiropractic care worldwide.
There are also several other treatment methods:
- A small click device—the so-called Activator—for very gentle, targeted treatment—very pleasant and safe for people with osteoporosis, for example;
- A special treatment table with traction options (Cox Technique, also known as flexion-distraction)—comfortable for people with worn-out backs;
- Thompson Technique is often used for people with hip replacements, where no rotation occurs during the treatment and no pressure is placed on the new hips.
There are also muscle-specific methods (e.g., Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, and Post-Isometric Release techniques) to treat adhesions within and between muscles.
I personally use all of the above techniques based on my experience and your preference, with the effective treatment of the complaint as the starting point.
Chiropractic Education
Chiropractic training is at university level and takes six years, five of which are at the university and a year of internship at a chiropractic clinic with additional continuing education. Unfortunately, there is no chiropractic program in the Netherlands yet, so all chiropractors working in the Netherlands have completed their studies abroad. Programs in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States are popular among most Dutch students. European chiropractic programs are all at the university level and can be found in Denmark, England, Wales, France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland.
In Denmark, medical and chiropractic students follow the same program for the first three years of their studies. https://www.sdu.dk/en/uddannelse/bachelor/klinisk_biomekanik
Chiropractic Associations
Dutch Chiropractors Association
The Dutch Chiropractors Association (NCA) is the oldest professional association of and for chiropractors in the Netherlands. Since its founding in 1975, it has strived for the recognition of chiropractic care in the Netherlands and advocates for chiropractic care of the highest quality standards.
Dutch Chiropractic Foundation
The SCN aims to promote and monitor the quality of chiropractic care provided in the Netherlands in accordance with legal and internal requirements.
The SCN strives to achieve its objectives through registration, re-registration, and inspections.
Other means of achieving this include the disciplinary board established by the SCN and the medical oversight board.