Have you paid off your student loan yet? If average student-loan debt for graduates of the chiropractic program and similar postgraduate education programs in this state is any indication of the nationwide reality, you're not even close.
An analysis of more than 500 programs at 57 institutions in Oregon reveals that graduates of the University of Western States (Doctor of Chiropractic degree program) carry an average student-loan debt of $169,703. Here are the state's top 10 debt-generating programs based on the analysis of 2015-2016 U.S. Department of Education data by American City Business Journals, parent company of the Portland Business Journal:
#1: Oregon Health & Science University (dentistry, first professional degree) – $276,675
#2: National University of Natural Medicine (alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems, first professional degree) – $231,702
#3: Oregon Health & Science University (medicine, first professional degree) – $221,089
#4: Pacific University (clinical counseling and applied psychology, doctoral degree) – $209,599
#5: Pacific University (pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences and administration, doctoral degree) – $199,228
#6: Pacific University (optometry, doctoral degree) – $180,654
#7: University of Western States (chiropractic, first professional degree) – $169,703
#8: Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems, master's degree) – $159,504
#9: Oregon State University (veterinary medicine, first professional degree) – $155,786
#10: Willamette University (law, first professional degree) – $154,190
Note that all but one (#10, the law program above) of the top 10 programs involve health care. Data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
The Romberg test is a neurological procedure used to assess balance and can be used to gauge a patient’s risk of falling. Unfortunately, the test itself is a fall risk. The fall risk is not huge, and falls are not frequent. However, I have encountered a few situations that have influenced how I use and teach the test.
Sadly, Japan now has over 12,000 chiropractic therapists (Zenkenkai/JCA chiropractors), dramatically outnumbering the fewer than 700 DCs who have graduated from accredited chiropractic educational programs. These chiropractic therapists have a clear economic and political advantage that makes appropriate chiropractic legislation nearly impossible. What if this same thing happenened in the U.S.?
