Naprapathy is a very helpful health profession that can be the saving grace for individuals who are suffering from problems with their soft connective tissues, joints, and spine. To become a doctor of naprapathic medicine is to provide aid to those suffering from chronic pain and limited movement.
If you’re interested in pursuing naprapathy, there are a few things to consider so that you know what to expect. With this, here’s all you need to know about this field.
Naprapathy vs. Chiropractic Therapy
The two practices are often associated with each other, although their methods are quite different.
Naprapathy is the branch of medicine that focuses on fascia, a thin casing that surrounds tissues and provides shape for muscles, tendons, and joints; and soft tissue and its interaction with the skeleton and the nervous system. Naprapathy is based on the therapeutic effects of structural alignment, manipulative therapy on tissue, and other procedures for the correction of functional disorders of the skeletal and soft tissues.
Unlike chiropractic therapy, this involves gentler movements and is mostly focused on the fascia. This field works comprehensively on the connective tissues around muscles to correct the conditions and issues that the patient experiences. As well as charting the spine also known as chartology.
Naprapathy can work hand in hand with chiropractic methods to pinpoint chronic issues and conditions faced by various individuals.
Academic Requirements for Naprapathy
To practice this branch of medicine, you need to complete an accredited naprapathic medicine program. Of course, your eligibility to take on such a role will be dependent on whether or not you have completed a relevant bachelor’s degree in a related field.
If you have already undergone medical training and have a license in medical practice, you would definitely be a good candidate to take on the program. The program itself is generally meant to be a four-year first professional degree.
Program Coverage
A naprapathic medicine program will include a range of subjects and can often complement training in med school. For instance, you will study topics like musculoskeletal systems, nutritional counseling, diagnosis, blood circulation, metabolism, ethics, biological chemistry, anatomy, neuroscience, physiology, and chartology.
You will also study the use of advanced instruments and equipment, as well as practice clinical procedures for treatment. Once you complete your course, you can take the licensure examination to become a legal Doctor of Naprapathy (DN).
Licensure Guidelines in America
Naprapathy is only licensed in two states right now. It’s best to do your research to make sure you have all the requirements necessary to practice.
In general, you need to have at least an undergraduate degree and complete a four-year first professional degree in naprapathy to even be eligible for a license. Then, training and other regulations will depend on state-specific guidelines.
For example, New Mexico requires at least 1,000 hours of training. Illinois imposes the same guidelines and requires full-credit accreditation. In fact, there are only two schools in the United States licensed for naprapathic education.
Conclusion
Now that you have this basic information, you can choose to pursue naprapathy. It’s a perfect next step for those with experience in physical science and healthcare. Nowadays, there are great options to tackle the curriculum in a way that works with your own goals.
The Southwest University of Naprapathic Medicine offers an advanced naprapathic medicine program as the only licensed school in the state of New Mexico. Contact us today to get started!
