Chiropractor stigma

“Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance” – Albert Einstein.

Being married to a physio, or in Nath’s case, married to a chiro , the joke is often made “gee, you must have some arguments” or “gosh, I’d love to be a fly on the wall in your house ha-ha”.

Often at social gatherings, I find myself defending my profession and what I do; what I believe in. I remember one day a physio student asking me what I did for work, and I said, “I’m a chiro”, he replied, “oh, I knew there was a reason I didn’t like you”, jokingly…. but, really?

There’s a certain stigma that comes with being a chiropractor but interestingly, if the question was asked of the naysayers – “What do you know about chiropractic?”, in my experience the majority have limited, if any, understanding of the profession. They simply align with the stigma and continue to believe what they’ve been told.

Sometimes I think it’d be easier to respond with “I’m a teacher”, but then I think; I studied Sport and Exercise Science for 2 years, then Chiropractic for 5 years and then another 2 years post-grad Chiro, Paediatrics. I’m well-trained and competent and so are my chiropractic colleagues. I use an extremely gentle, non-manipulative technique to treat newborns through to geriatrics, which is safe and effective.

This isn’t to say that I think chiropractic is better than physiotherapy, myotherapy, Chinese medicine, osteopathy or other healthcare practices, or that you should see me instead of your GP.

You see I believe, and so do my colleagues at One Life, that every profession offers a unique piece of the puzzle when it comes to your healthcare; and at various stages of your life, you may find yourself benefiting from one, more than another, yet at all stages all should be considered.