Naturopathic vs Chiropractic school in Portland? (Eugene: health insurance, schools, college)

[movintime]

Which seems to get more credo or patients? I have a philosophy that both work if prudently & judiciously used. I have been into manipulation, via chiropractic, for many yrs now being into exercise/fitness.

But now over the yrs, have also learned that herbs, tonics, etc. may actually help alleviate or mitigate certain health conditions & now am a firm believer that alt meds DO indeed work if used expediously.

Anyone care to compare these 2 schools/progams, & their virtues as far as professional longterm career potential w/ baby boomers as pt.'s on the rise as well? Thanks alot.

Let me qualify this thread by asking; if you'd go to one vs the other, which one & why? I'm leaning NMD as it covers more bases but am open to hands-on Chiro as well. Is anyone from these schools on here?

[5thgenSF]

are you asking opinions from doctors or patients? i have family that went to western states and one of my chiro's did, as well, but my answer would only be as a patient.

[movintime]

Originally Posted by 5thgenSF

are you asking opinions from doctors or patients? i have family that went to western states and one of my chiro's did, as well, but my answer would only be as a patient.

Hi. Either way would be ok. Just trying to get a read on how well accepted these programs are. I know here in AZ, they've got the widest scope of practice for NMD. But not sure of DC scope throughout the US, let alone Oregon. I know Western is a leader in alt meds, as viewed by the holistic approach, but beyond that have no idea. Thanks for your info though, too.

[5thgenSF]

well, let me see if i can make some sense here. i come from the bay area which was very open to alternative therapies. i have two sisters and a brother-in-law that made their living in standard chiropractic. one was in southern cal. and one is west of portland. i forget the name of the traditional therapy but my sister referred to it as "rack 'em and crack 'em". lol. personally, i wouldn't let any of them touch me! one was also trained in accupuncture and one was previously trained as a physical therapist. the pt/dc sister does see a naturopath where she lives, west of portland. i live in a podunky area in southern oregon and see a lot of people that use chiro here. i don't know anybody that sees naturopaths though. i would myself, but just haven't had the money to spend on that so i have never seen one. my first chiro was in san jose. she practiced DNFT. i had a hiatal hernia that had gone misdiagnosed for six years. an herbologist finally correctly diagnosed it in three minutes on the telephone. so one DNFT treatment later and i had no more symptoms whatsoever. i saw that chiro usually about every six months when my lower back went out. she said i was the worst patient she ever had and she couldn't fathom how i managed to walk around standing up straight! she was excellent and an herbologist as well. then i moved south and found a DNFT in Temecula. again, about every six months for lower back. she eventually moved to san diego so i switched chiro's again. the next guy was the best of them all. he combinded DNFT with Cox therapy and correctly assessed that i had a chronic problem that nobody previously had gotten to the bottom of. and he did! then i moved to oregon and knew the closest DNFT was in eugene, an hour away. i think i've been once or twice in seven years. DNFT was life saving for me. The Eugene chiro had gone to Western States. Only having been to him once or twice, i can't really say much about his skill. It was the Murrieta DNFT that was the reason I rarely need care now. Moderator cut: off topic

[Minervah]

As a "baby boomer" or a one considered as such although I dislike that term, I can say that I don't think people over 65 are going to chiropractors or naturopaths any more now that ever before. But I do believe that in Portland and in Oregon in general these practices are very widely accepted and there are many, many practices for both. You would have some competition if you were going out on your own but you would probably be able to find many clinics to connect to.

I don't think it would matter which school to attend as far as popularity goes. Both practices have a need. Moderator cut: off topic

[cdeger]

I am very familiar with the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland. It has programs in both naturopathic medicine and classical Chinese medicine. NCNM is a well-recognized authority in naturopathic medical education and has been for 50+ years. Their faculty are both knowledgeable and experienced, and every student and alum that I've met from the school has reported having a good experience and receiving a thorough education there. I should also add that one of the things NCNM is most known for is its scientific research, conducted through the Helfgott Research Institute.

[Nell Plotts]

Although I have never used a naturopath or D.O. I do believe many on the west coast use them, particularly in combination with classical Chinese medicine & acupuncture. This pod-cast, a Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, is well worth a listen: John Nieters: Traditional Chinese Medicine Today | Commonwealth Club Dr. John Nieters L.Ac.: Expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Alameda CA, San Francisco Bay Area

Were I you I would take a look at what health insurance carriers will pay for. I know they are very suspicious of chiropractors for reasons most know. If the other practitioners are not covered recognize that you will be serving the private pay market.

[BruceM]

They are all quacks IMO.
There was the news article from Pennsylvania last week where a little girl died from an ear infection because her parents relied on a homeopathic remedy.
They "did not believe in chemicals".

Here is a story from today's paper about an acupuncturist in Portland being sued for malpractice.

Lawsuit: Man hurt by leftover acupuncture needle seeks $3M

Perhaps it is best to put your money & time to better use by looking into nursing, becoming PA or even a real physician.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by BruceM

They are all quacks IMO.

Perhaps it is best to put your money & time to better use by looking into nursing, becoming PA or even a real physician.

I'll only speak to chiropractic, but there isn't a single answer. There are roughly speaking, two schools of thought within chiropractic, one of which is medically focused, and the other is a bit more metaphysical.

So which particular college one attends matters somewhat. Likewise, scope of practice for any medical profession varies greatly by state. California, for example, is currently looking at a bill that would significantly expand the scope of practice for pharmacists.

In the state of Oregon, a licensed chiropractor has to pass a rigorous state licensure exam, because chiropractic is a licensed primary care medical profession. A practitioner has to be able to identify, treat, and refer for a wide range of medical ailments the same as a PA or DO, etc.

In other states, indeed, it can vary.

As for acupuncture, I'm not a particularly big fan myself, but one anecdote of medical malpractice doesn't really make for a profound argument. It's not like hospital systems or MDs are exempt from committing malpractice.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by movintime

.......Let me qualify this thread by asking; if you'd go to one vs the other, which one & why? ..........

If I would go and get the education myself? I'd get qualified as a chiropractor licensed to work on animals. Our local chiropractor who worked on performance dogs was stopped by the state. Apparently chiropractors who work on people are not allowed to work on animals. He was booked full all the time and now there is no one to take his place.

If you want to make a living with it, go with chiropractor and after you get that continue your education to gain knowledge about the use of medicianl herbs and try to get qualified in acupuncture.

If you really want to make a living, get qualified as an osteopath. They have all the rights of medical doctors and can practice medicine.