Confessions of a Chiro-wife: 5 biggest myths dispelled

This post is a little bit off topic, but I just had to share. As some of you may know, I am among so many other things, a Chiropractor’s wife (aka Chiro-wife). It seems as though that would never be a big deal, just as the wife of any other professional, but the differences tend to become apparent in certain situations. It’s always a blast meeting and chatting with other Chiro-wives because a lot of us tend to have really similar experiences and it kinda feels like we are in a league of out own. Like, I wonder if we could even have our own reality show….Ok, so we’re not as hot tempered as Basketball Wives, not as gansgster as Mob Wives, not nearly as complicated as Sister Wives, and thank goodness, not as dramatic as the Real Housewives of {insert city here}…you get the point. Nonetheless, we do have our own sense of community and likeness, which I definitely do appreciate.

So I said all of this to say that I just about each time my husband and I are introduced to a new group of people and the topic of him being a Chiropractor comes up, it’s always the same experience. This past weekend was no different. The topic comes up and it’s like a room full of characters all of sudden – the supporter, the skeptic, the naysayer, the deal seeker, and so on. I guess he gets pretty excited about the dialog because he lives and breathes the topic of Chiropractic. As the Chiro-wife, I wouldn’t say it bothers me as much as just purely fascinates me the assumptions, questions, myths people have about the profession and lifestyle. So, if you’re ever in the company of another Chiro-wife, here are some of the biggest myths I am going to dispel once and for all:


1. We are always up for a Chiropractic debate.

I mean, clearly, we support our husbands’ professions. That’s kind of a requirement. No, we don’t think that every Chiropractor is the best out there, but the last thing we want to have to defend is the “quack who had your back hurting for weeks.” I love a good debate just as much as the next girl, but it puts a damper in any festivity when we have to discuss your negative thoughts and opinions of Chiropractic practice.

2. We get unlimited back “massages” from our husbands.

It’s always amazing to me how many times I’ve had someone say to me, “I’m sure you get massages from your husband all of the time.” Unfortunately for me, massage therapy was not included in his training, so I am just like any other wife who literally has to beg for a back massage or foot rub. :-(

3. We are rich.

This one gets a big, fat, “I WISH!” Now, I do believe (well, hope) that Chiropractic can be a very lucrative career, but it does take a lot of time. My hubby has only been practicing for a few years and I don’t think I’ve met any other Chiro-wives whose husbands have been in practice for less than 5 or 10 years who I would classify as “rich.” I mean, it takes at least a couple of years for new Chiropractors to build a decent clientele, unless they earn a salary, which, starting out, would still be just enough to cover student loans. Either way, it takes time. Ask me again if we are rich in a couple of years and hopefully, my answer will be different.

4. All Chiropractic kids are home-birthed, unmedicated, and unvaccinated.

This is a BIG topic of discussion pretty often – what do we do with our kids? I understand where this question comes from and it’s pretty valid. I’ve met other Chiro-wives who have home-birthed their kids and others (like me) who would not even try it. I can say that we all encourage minimal use of drugs/medication and medical intervention wherever possible. I can honestly tell you that there have been many times I’ve wanted to just give my daughter meds when she’s been sick, but my husband has refused it and I’ve complied. He has been trained to heal even her without medication, so we’ve rarely given her anything and while it takes a little longer, she’s overall a pretty healthy kid.

As for the vaccination thing…Well, that’s a topic we’ll have to get into later.

5. We would have it any other way.

I’ve had lots of friends and family ask me if I wished my husband were a “real doctor.” Once I correct them to say, “medical doctor,” my answer is undoubtedly “NO.” Through his profession, I’ve seen that he is not only subscribed to a job or a career, he is subscribed to a faith, a belief, a philosophy, a lifestyle, and a Godly ordained science that actually heals people. He makes this clear as day throughout every debate or discussion he is a part of (even at Christmas parties) and I love it. So, despite all of the trials and tribulations that come with any other profession, I do believe that our lives are better for his and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Posted in: just my thoughts