Occupational Outlook
College of Chiropractic
The United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook 2016-2017 edition states that “Employment of chiropractors is projected to grow 17 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. People across all age groups are increasingly becoming interested in chiropractic care, because chiropractors use nonsurgical methods of treatment and do not prescribe drugs.”
Doctors of Chiropractic have many different practice opportunities, from solo practice to group offices, from integrative health care clinics to employment in medical clinics. With licensure opportunities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and many foreign countries, chiropractic is a maturing, growing and widely accepted profession. Insurance coverage is broadly available.
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Graduates face a marketplace where these professions are enjoying widening acceptance. Currently, most practitioners have private practices, while an increasing number are employed or collaborate with community service institutions, major health care agencies and health maintenance organizations. Regulation of acupuncturists and herbal medicine practitioners varies widely: from licensure, to regulation, to being unregulated. Insurance coverage for acupuncture services is gradually increasing.
There is a growing interest in integrative health care nationwide. In Minnesota, Hennepin County Medical Center, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic are among those hospitals who offer acupuncture treatment by licensed acupuncturists. Acupuncture is widely seen as a profession on the rise and is emerging as an important health care profession that stands on its own and can integrate well with conventional health care services.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is a profession that is rapidly maturing. Educational programs have proliferated in recent years across the nation, and with national program accreditation recognition by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, an important step for stabilizing and standardizing massage therapy education and practices has been taken.
Graduates have many opportunities for private solo practice, working with other health care professionals (doctors of chiropractic are the single largest health care profession that employ massage therapists), or working in health care institutions such as clinics and hospitals. Insurance coverage for some conditions and types of injuries is available in certain states and increasing, especially in alliance with medical referrals.
The United States Department of Labor Statistics notes that "Employment of massage therapists is projected to grow 22 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Continued growth in the demand for massage services will lead to new openings for massage therapists.”
Nutrition
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics "In recent years, interest in the role of food and nutrition in promoting health and wellness has increased, particularly as a part of preventative healthcare in medical settings."
The role of nutrition in maintaining health and wellness is clear and the need for health care practitioners who are well qualified to provide nutritional advice and counseling will only grow. The nutrition programs at Northwestern are designed to prepare health care practitioners to respond to the needs of their patients for nutritional advice.
While the programs at Northwestern are not intended to prepare students as registered dietitians or for licensure as licensed nutritionists, it is worth noting that the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 16% growth in employment in the related professions - dietitians and nutritionists between 2014 and 2024. This is indicative of the growing trend toward using nutrition as a means of reducing the effects of chronic disease on the body and supporting the body's natural inclination toward health and wellness. Health care practitioners who become better equipped to dispense nutritional advice will be in a better position to serve their patients and provide a more holistic approach to patient care.