Doctor of Chiropractic: What the D.C. Degree Means
Doctor of Chiropractic, written D.C., is the professional doctorate that accredited chiropractic programs award in the United States and in some other countries. A Doctor of Chiropractic is a doctor of chiropractic, not a medical doctor: the degree trains a person to examine, diagnose and care for problems of the spine, joints, muscles and nerves without drugs or surgery.
If you came here asking "are chiropractors doctors?", the short answer is that a chiropractor who holds the D.C. degree is a doctor in that profession, in the same way a dentist is a doctor of dental surgery. Degree names and training differ from country to country, so in Malaysia it is worth knowing what the title means before you book. New patients can usually be seen the same day at either Kuala Lumpur center, but call or send a WhatsApp message first.
This page, Doctor of Chiropractic: 7 Clear Facts About the D.C., is published by Chiropractic Specialty Center, Bukit Damansara (KL) main center: WhatsApp +60 17 269 1873 Call +603 2093 1000
I earned my Doctor of Chiropractic degree in the United States and practiced there for ten years before founding Chiropractic Specialty Center in Kuala Lumpur. This page explains the degree in plain terms: how it is earned, how it compares with a medical degree and with chiropractic training in Malaysia, and who may use the D.C. initials.
Doctor of Chiropractic: Seven Facts in Brief
- It is a professional doctorate: in the United States the Doctor of Chiropractic degree is earned at an accredited chiropractic college, usually after undergraduate university study.
- It takes years of full-time study: the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners describes about seven to eight years of college in total, including three to five years at chiropractic college.
- It has a minimum curriculum: each accredited program must include at least 4,200 instructional hours.
- It ends with supervised clinical work: students work a clinical internship, usually in the fourth year.
- It is followed by board examinations and a license: a graduate must pass national board examinations and hold a state license before practicing in the United States.
- It is not a medical degree: a Doctor of Chiropractic does not prescribe medication or perform surgery.
- Malaysia trains chiropractors differently: the local degree is a five-year Bachelor of Science (Hons), and practitioners register under the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016.
What the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Is
A Doctor of Chiropractic degree is a defined professional qualification, not a general title for anyone who offers manual care. It shows that the holder completed an accredited chiropractic program, which in the United States covers anatomy, physiology, neurology, pathology, biomechanics, diagnostic imaging, clinical examination, chiropractic methods, rehabilitation and patient management.
The letters D.C. are written after the name, as in Yama Zafer, D.C. They are not the same as MD (Doctor of Medicine) or MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery), the degrees held by medical doctors. MD is the usual form in North America and many other countries; MBBS is the usual form in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries.
A degree establishes training. It does not replace clinical judgment, informed consent or a referral when a problem lies outside the chiropractic scope, and those are what you should look for in whoever examines you.
How Doctor of Chiropractic Training Works in the United States
Most students enter chiropractic college after completing undergraduate university study. The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners describes training as about seven to eight years of college: four undergraduate years, followed by three to five years at chiropractic college. Each accredited program must include at least 4,200 instructional hours, and in the United States programs and institutions are accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education.
The early years are classroom and laboratory science: anatomy with dissection, physiology, biochemistry, neurology, pathology and microbiology. The later years shift to clinical subjects, including physical and neurological examination, orthopedic testing, radiology and the reading of X-rays, differential diagnosis, chiropractic technique and rehabilitation. In the fourth year, students work a clinical internship, examining and caring for patients under supervision.
Before a Doctor of Chiropractic may practice, there are national board examinations to pass, and then a license from the state where they will work. Licensed chiropractors in the United States must also meet continuing education requirements to keep their license.
My Own Doctor of Chiropractic Training
I earned my Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Cleveland University-Kansas City and practiced at Zafer Chiropractic Health Clinic in Overland Park, Kansas, from 1996 to 2006. In 2006 I founded Chiropractic Specialty Center in Kuala Lumpur, and I have practiced chiropractic for 30 years.
What those years taught me is that the degree is where competence starts, not where it ends. For any care to help, the problem first has to be accurately diagnosed, then properly planned, then carried out with as few flaws as possible, and finally topped with changes to posture, habits and daily activities. Meeting those conditions takes a provider with in-depth knowledge and experience of similar problems, whatever letters follow their name.
Chiropractic Education and Registration in Malaysia
Malaysia trains chiropractors through a bachelor-level degree. IMU University offers a five-year Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Chiropractic; it welcomed its first cohort of chiropractic students on 22 February 2010 and the program has been accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia. Graduates are qualified chiropractors, but the degree does not carry the Doctor of Chiropractic designation.
Chiropractic is regulated under the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 (Act 775). It is one of the seven recognized practice areas listed by the Ministry of Health, under an order that came into force on 1 August 2017, alongside traditional Malay, Chinese and Indian medicine, homeopathy, osteopathy and Islamic medical practice. Since 1 March 2025 the Ministry has taken legal action against practitioners in these areas who are not registered.
In Malaysia, chiropractic is often called "kiropraktik" in Bahasa Malaysia, and our Kiropraktik in Malaysia page explains the term.
The D.C. Degree and the Malaysian Chiropractic Degree Compared
| Feature | Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.), United States | Chiropractic degree, Malaysia (IMU) |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | Professional doctorate | Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Chiropractic |
| Usual entry | After undergraduate university study | After pre-university study |
| Length | Three to five years at chiropractic college | Five years |
| Minimum teaching | At least 4,200 instructional hours | Set by the program and its accreditor |
| Accreditation | Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) | Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia |
| Before practice | National board examinations and a state license | Registration under the T&CM Act 2016 |
| Designation | D.C. | No D.C. designation |
The two routes lead to the same profession and the same scope of care. What differs is the level of the degree, the length of study and the designation the graduate may use.
Chiropractic Degrees Outside the United States
Canada also awards the Doctor of Chiropractic degree. In Australia and the United Kingdom, chiropractic is usually taught at master's level, as a Master of Chiropractic in Australia and as an integrated Master of Chiropractic (MChiro) in the United Kingdom. The names and lengths differ, which is why a chiropractic qualification is best checked by country rather than assumed to be equivalent to another.
Some Malaysian students begin their training at IMU University and complete it abroad. IMU offers routes in which students spend three years in Malaysia and two at a partner university, including Macquarie University in Australia and the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in the United Kingdom. A graduate of one of those routes holds the partner university's degree, not a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, unless the partner awards one.
For a patient, the practical questions are the same everywhere: does the chiropractor hold a recognized chiropractic qualification, are they registered where they practice, and can they explain the examination, the proposed method and the limits of care in plain words?
Are Chiropractors Doctors?
Chiropractors who hold the D.C. degree are doctors of chiropractic. They are not medical doctors, and they do not use the MD or MBBS initials, which belong to the medical profession. Chiropractic is a separate healthcare profession, in the way that dentistry is separate from medicine: a dentist is a doctor of dental surgery and a chiropractor is a doctor of chiropractic, and neither is a physician.
So "is a chiropractor a doctor?" has two honest answers. A chiropractor with the Doctor of Chiropractic degree is a doctor in that profession. A chiropractor is not a medical doctor, and a chiropractor whose degree is a bachelor's, as in Malaysia, does not hold a doctorate at all.
Is a Chiropractor a Physician?
Physicians are doctors of medicine and surgery: family doctors and general practitioners, surgeons, pediatricians, cardiologists, dermatologists, gynecologists and the other medical specialties. In most countries, Malaysia among them, chiropractors are not classified as physicians. In the United States some chiropractors use the term "chiropractic physician", but they remain doctors of chiropractic, separate from medicine and surgery.
Who Uses the D.C. Title at CSC
At Chiropractic Specialty Center, I am the only chiropractor who holds the Doctor of Chiropractic degree, and the D.C. initials on this site refer to me alone. Every other chiropractor at CSC holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree and is registered in Malaysia. We do not call anyone a doctor of chiropractic unless they have earned that degree.
What a Doctor of Chiropractic Does and Does Not Do
- Examines and diagnoses within the musculoskeletal scope: history, movement, orthopedic and neurological tests, and imaging when the examination shows a reason for it.
- Treats by hand, with instruments and with graded exercise: adjustment, mobilization, traction when it is indicated, and rehabilitation, alongside physiotherapy at CSC.
- Does not prescribe medication or operate: blood tests, prescriptions and surgery belong to medical doctors.
- Refers when a problem lies outside the scope: CSC is equipped to assess, and where an intervention is needed that CSC is not equipped for, a referral to an appropriate healthcare provider is made.
That scope covers a great deal of what people bring with back pain, neck pain, a slipped disc, sciatica and joint or sports injuries. More on the methods is on the chiropractic treatment page.
How Chiropractors and Medical Doctors Work Together
The difference between a doctor of chiropractic and a medical doctor is not a ranking. It is a difference in scope, and knowing where the boundary lies is what lets the two professions work together sensibly. Most medical doctors accept chiropractic care today, and some are chiropractic patients themselves.
Co-management is normal. Someone taking blood thinners, someone with osteoporosis or an inflammatory arthritis, or someone under cancer care benefits when both sides know what the other is doing, and with your consent we will write to your doctor when that is useful.
Where Chiropractic Began and How Large It Is Now
Chiropractic began in 1895, when Daniel David Palmer gave the first chiropractic adjustment in Davenport, Iowa, and he later founded the first chiropractic school there. A 2019 global review counted 103,469 chiropractors in the 90 countries where information was available. In Malaysia the profession is small but growing, and more on its size is in how large the chiropractic profession is.
Questions Worth Asking Any Chiropractor
These questions tell you more about a clinic than any certificate on the wall, and they are fair to ask of us too.
- What is your working diagnosis, and what else could it be? A clinician who cannot name an alternative has not considered one.
- What would make you refer me elsewhere? An honest answer names specific findings.
- When will we reassess, and what will we measure? At CSC the plan is reassessed if there is no improvement by about the fifth session; if there is none by the tenth, we discuss whether to continue.
- What should I do between visits? Exercise and changes to daily habits are part of care, not an extra.
- What qualification do you hold, and where are you registered? In Malaysia that means registration under the T&CM Act 2016.
In Is Chiropractic Safe? 13 Questions Answered I explain when a manual technique is appropriate, when a method that does not twist the spine is the better choice, and what to ask before any treatment.
Examination by a Doctor of Chiropractic or one of our registered chiropractors follows the same method at both CSC centers in Kuala Lumpur, and fees are the same at every center. Directions and hours are on the Bukit Damansara contact page and the Bandar Sri Damansara contact page, or call or message either center:
- Bukit Damansara (KL, main center): Call +603 2093 1000 or WhatsApp +60 17 269 1873 to see the Bukit Damansara / KL center
- Bandar Sri Damansara (KL): Call +603 6262 5777 or WhatsApp +60 12 455 6939 to see the Bandar Sri Damansara center
What a First Visit and Fees Look Like
A first visit begins with your history and a physical examination, and imaging only if the examination shows a reason for it. Bring any films, CDs and reports you already have. The findings and two or three options are explained, with what each offers and where each falls short, and you decide.
Fees are the same at every CSC center: RM100 for the examination and RM150 for an adjustment, or from RM110 when the visit also includes physiotherapy, as listed on the chiropractic price in Kuala Lumpur page. The physiotherapy fees page lists the physiotherapy prices.
Doctor of Chiropractic: Common Questions
Is a Doctor of Chiropractic a real doctor?
A Doctor of Chiropractic holds a professional doctorate in chiropractic and is a doctor in that profession. A Doctor of Chiropractic is not a medical doctor and does not prescribe medication or perform surgery.
How long does it take to become a Doctor of Chiropractic?
In the United States, about seven to eight years of college in total: usually four undergraduate years, then three to five years at an accredited chiropractic college with at least 4,200 instructional hours, followed by board examinations and a state license.
Can a chiropractor in Malaysia use the title doctor?
The D.C. designation belongs to those who earned the Doctor of Chiropractic degree. At CSC only Yama Zafer holds it; the other chiropractors hold Bachelor of Science (Hons) degrees and are not called doctors.
Is a chiropractor the same as a physiotherapist?
No. They are separate professions with different training. At CSC chiropractors and physiotherapists work in one plan, so the assessment covers both and the care is not split between them.
What does D.C. stand for after a chiropractor's name?
D.C. stands for Doctor of Chiropractic, the professional degree awarded by accredited chiropractic colleges, mainly in North America.
Related Reading
- Chiropractor in Malaysia: how chiropractic care works at CSC.
- Chiropractic treatment: how the method is chosen: six methods compared.
- Chiropractic care for children: how assessment and care are adapted for a child.
- Chiropractic combined with physiotherapy: one plan across both professions.
Peer-Reviewed References
- Stochkendahl MJ, Rezai M, Torres P, et al. The chiropractic workforce: a global review. Chiropr Man Therap. 2019;27:36.
- Paige NM, Miake-Lye IM, Booth MS, et al. Association of spinal manipulative therapy with clinical benefit and harm for acute low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2017;317(14):1451-1460.
- Gross A, Langevin P, Burnie SJ, et al. Manipulation and mobilisation for neck pain contrasted against an inactive control or another active treatment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(9):CD004249.
These references describe the chiropractic profession and spinal manipulation in general. None of them evaluates care at Chiropractic Specialty Center.
The Author of Doctor of Chiropractic: 7 Clear Facts About the D.C.
Doctor of Chiropractic: 7 Clear Facts About the D.C. was written by Yama Zafer, D.C., Chiropractor in Kuala Lumpur Since 1996, who founded Chiropractic Specialty Center in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.
Last Updated: Doctor of Chiropractic: What the D.C. Degree Means
Doctor of Chiropractic: What the D.C. Degree Means was last reviewed and updated on October 28, 2026.