THE journey to becoming a qualified chiropractor is not an easy one, and it takes chiropractic students nearly a decade of studying the discipline before they become doctors. Morningside resident and fifth-year chiropractic student Lori Niemand is almost at the point of qualifying and says there are multiple requirements that must be completed before a chiropractic student is granted their qualification.
“When you study chiropractic medicine, you must complete a four-year Bachelor of Health Sciences degree, and that is followed by a masters programme. So, on average, it takes about six years to fully complete the program. Only once you have completed your thesis, treated a certain number of patients and clocked a certain number of internship hours, are you allowed to then practise,” said Niemand.
The Durban University of Technology chiropractic student says she has been interested in the profession since the age of 16. “When I was 16 years old, I had a sporting injury that I needed to heal quickly for an upcoming sports competition. I tried everything, from different doctors to medicine, and eventually I tried chiropractor treatments for the first time in my life. It was the only thing that reduced my pain, and it opened my eyes to what the profession had to offer. It was a great alternative to using medication and aided the body along its healing process very well.
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“That was when I was inspired to pursue the profession of chiropractic medicine.” Niemand says that since starting her degree, she is constantly learning new things about the body and how it can be healed. “No matter how much I learn about the body, I am still always in awe of how everything works. I have learned that there is more than one way to look at an injury, and that different treatment options will work better for different people. People think that chiropractic medicine is just adjusting joints or working on muscles. But we are trained to look at a patient as a whole. We look at every aspect of their life to determine the root cause of a problem or what is causing certain symptoms,” said Niemand.
The Morningside resident is currently completing her masters studies and volunteers at the Durban University of Technology Chiropractic Clinic to gain necessary experience to complete her studies.
“The DUT Chiropractic Clinic offers treatments at a reduced rate to the public. On the first visit, we do a full case history and physical examination head-to-toe in order to screen for any medical conditions before commencing with treatment. Chiropractors are neuro-musculoskeletal specialists, so we don’t only treat the spine,” she said.
Niemand says she’s grateful for the experience she has gained at the clinic. “I really enjoy helping people, especially those that cannot afford private healthcare. It brings me so much joy to make a difference in someone’s life. The clinic has a range of modalities that the students can make use of as part of their training. We are also exposed to a variety of athletes at different sporting events and different ways of treating conditions during community service.”
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She says she has learned a number of interesting facts about the body and about chiropractic medicine along the way and shared a few lesser-known facts about chiropractic treatments. “The ‘pop’ that is heard when a joint is adjusted is not actually the pop of a bubble. Instead, it’s a bubble forming in the joint. The release of gases in the joint is what results in the noise. Adjustments have so many functions. Not only do they correct a joint’s normal position or restore normal movement, but they stimulate a neurological response. This can relax a muscle, override pain signals and even normalise the perception of pain. Chiropractors can give advice on nutritional supplements to suit your needs. Chiropractors can do dry needling, and this targets trigger points, which are commonly known as ‘knots’,” said the soon-to-be qualified chiropractor.
Her advice to hopeful chiropractic students is to stick it out. “The course is hard, but it is a hundred percent worth it. If you know that you want to help people and have an interest in the human body, then you have to push through the tough times and keep thinking about the end goal. In my fourth year, I had about four tests every week. It’s mentally and physically draining, but I couldn’t be happier with what I chose to study. It is so rewarding and makes all the long hours of studying worth it. I love meeting different patients and getting to treat conditions that we learnt about. If you want to make a difference in someone’s life and offer an alternative to medicine, then chiropractic medicine is for you!”
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