Department of Chiropractic Sciences

This course provides the student with a review and a deeper understanding into the biomechanical and pathophysiological theories of subluxation / joint dysfunction complex. Indications and contraindications for chiropractic adjustments are analyzed, with a focus on basic musculoskeletal conditions.

This course provides an introduction into the principles, techniques, and psychomotor skills of the chiropractic manipulation (diversified technique). Emphasis is placed on biomechanics, assessment, positioning, and safety protocols. Students will develop foundational skills in spinal and pelvic manipulation through extensive hands-on practice and supervised application.

This course introduces students to the assessment and management of soft tissue dysfunction using a regional + technique approach in the laboratory. Students will explore anatomy, biomechanics, and the application of evidence-informed manual and instrument-assisted soft tissue techniques. Emphasis is placed on clinical reasoning, tissue handling, and integrating soft tissue work with chiropractic care.

The lecture portion of this course utilizes lectures, discussions, and multimedia presentations to survey the most commonly used chiropractic technique systems. These technique systems include Diversified technique, Instrument assisted technique, Gonstead technique, Sacro-occipital technique, Cox Flexion/Distraction technique, Thompson technique and Leander technique. The lab portion of this course consists of instructor demonstrations with student participation in the practical application of the most commonly used chiropractic techniques and some of its modifications. This course is 1 hour lecture and 3 hours of in-person, hands-on lab instruction per week

This course will be a study focused on the hypotheses and basic science concepts associated with the chiropractic profession. This course will explore the historical and the current hypotheses along with basic science concepts of chiropractic. This course is delivered in an asynchronous format. 

This course focuses on the models and basic science concepts developed within the chiropractic profession related to spinal manipulation in the clinical practice of chiropractic. It also briefly summarizes milestones in the development of chiropractic and presents information on concepts and trends influencing the future of the profession. It is asynchronous, except for tests, which take place on campus.

This course includes the development of and appropriate recording of management plans, including CPT and ICD-10 coding, based upon the patient’s clinical presentation of common neuromusculoskeletal disorders. The course will also address when referral and/or collaborative care may be warranted and how the management plan may be altered based upon outcome measures.

This hybrid course provides the student with an opportunity to learn both the basic principles of health care ethics and the application of the ethics of care. The principles of professionalism, professional responsibilities, patient communication, boundary setting and optimal behaviors are featured. In class ethical dilemmas, that may occur in clinical practice, will be presented with discussion of possible solutions and outcomes. Emphases are placed on the doctor-patient relationship, prevention of sexual misconduct and fraud in the chiropractic profession.

This course introduces the foundational principles and cognitive processes of clinical reasoning that underpin effective decision-making. Students will explore how clinicians gather and interpret patient information, generate differential diagnoses, and select diagnostic and therapeutic strategies while integrating scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values.

Key topics include frameworks of clinical reasoning, common sources of diagnostic error, and strategies to reduce them. Through case-based learning, guided practice, and reflective exercises, students will develop skills in clinical judgment, critical thinking, and evidence-informed decision-making. Learners will also gain proficiency in searching for and evaluating evidence-based methods and management strategies to ensure safe, effective, and patient-centered care.

This course is designed to teach the student how to effectively and safely use passive modalities in the clinical setting. These therapies include various electrical stimulation devices, ultrasound, traction (decompression therapy), ultraviolet, low-level laser therapies, extracorporeal shockwave therapy and thermal therapies. In addition, the student will learn to transition a patient from passive to active care.

This course covers the application of sound nutritional intervention in the maintenance, prevention and treatment of various conditions and pathologies. Weekly on-line references and readings accompanied by in-class quizzes and written assignments develop course content. Diet planning and nutritional supplementation are discussed from biochemical and physiological perspectives. This course is a hybrid format with 2 hours of recorded, asynchronous lectures and 1 hour of in-person instruction per week.

Students will be introduced to the evidence base of chiropractic, including basics of acquiring and applying evidence. Topics will include summarizing the current status of chiropractic clinical research related to conditions commonly presented in chiropractic practice, defining terminology used in evidence-based practice, understanding how to search relevant databases, and discussing the relevance of published research to chiropractic practice. This course is administered in a hybrid format.

Evidence-based practice is a process by which clinical decisions are made using the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and integrating it with patient needs, preferences, circumstances and values. The purpose of the course is to guide the student in the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidences in making decisions about the care of individual patients using the principles of evidence-based practice. This course will cover various steps in evidence-based practice process including converting the need for information into an answerable question; finding the best answer available to that question and critically appraising the evidence for validity, importance and relevance. This class will be presented in a recorded, asynchronous format with lecture material presented via electronic format for student self-completion.