Chiropractic medicine is an often misunderstood field in the health care industry. While it is not considered a part of conventional medicine, it could be accurately described as complimentary medicine. A complimentary form of medicine can be used as a stand-alone treatment for issues related to pain and illness, but it can also be applied in conjunction with conventional medicine to assist the patient in achieving the best result. What many people do not realize about chiropractic therapy is that it could also be considered to be a form of holistic treatment.

In the most basic sense, a chiropractor is a health care professional that specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders relating to the musculoskeletal system. A chiropractor has a specific insight into the alignment of the muscles, bones and joints of the body and they specialize in helping patients to maintain and restore the proper alignment and working order of this particular system. However, they tend to take a holistic approach to the application of care. The idea is that when one part of the system is in a state of disorder, it can have an effect on the entire body.

Holistic healing is another often misunderstood term. Many people associate it as another term for alternative medicine, but that is not really an accurate description of holistic health care. Holistic care is really a term that is used to describe any type of healing practice that focuses on the patient as a whole rather than just addressing the specific condition. Since a major part of the philosophy behind chiropractic medicine is that every part affects the whole and that treating the body as a whole is important for increased health, this does make chiropractic care a form of holistic healing.

To what degree a chiropractor can be considered a practitioner of holistic health will also vary from one professional to the next. While some chiropractors do take a strictly mechanistic approach to healing by performing adjustments and ensuring that the musculoskeletal system is aligned and functioning properly, there are many in the field that offer additional treatment options like physical therapy or acupuncture to compliment the mechanical end of chiropractic medicine. Adding these additional forms of treatment makes for a more complete and therefore, more holistic approach to healing.

In essence, a chiropractor offers what could be called a form of whole body wellness. Beyond the traditional practices of a chiropractor, the services that are offered will vary depending on the practitioner and the additional forms of education that they have received. Services that are commonly offered by a chiropractor include different forms of physical therapy, massage, nutritional advice, acupuncture, rehabilitative exercise and more.