Chiropractors Guide

Chiropractors practice the treatment known as chiropractic. The word chiropractic comes from the meaning “to perform with hands” in Greek, which is highly appropriate as this is the general key principal in the work done by chiropractors. The treatment they provide revolves around using their hands to manipulate the muscles and joints to relieve certain pains and discomforts.

There appears to be a long history of chiropractic, as seen in artwork discovered from Egypt and Greece many thousands of years ago. However, the actual chiropractic practice was not established until 1895 by a man called Daniel David Palmer.


Since 2001, to be a chiropractor you must be trained and registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). The General Chiropractic Council ensure that all those practising chiropractic are professional chiropractors and they have been correctly trained and licensed. You are able to look up any chiropractor through the GCC to be sure that somebody who is actually registered is treating you.

What is chiropractic?

Chiropractors use a drug-free, non-surgical approach to caring for their patient’s health. Chiropractic is a method that provides treatments for the musculoskeletal system – this comprises of the muscles and bones that support the body and keep you upright and functioning correctly. Accidents, being exercise deficient, stress, disease, age and poor posture can all disrupt the normal workings of bones and muscles, which may lead to pain, discomfort and reduced mobility.

Chiropractic is deemed a relatively straightforward method to improve the alignment of the skeleton and it is sometimes even claimed that this can aid the nervous system to perform better and more effectively. By undergoing the treatment by a trained chiropractor, you may achieve better mobility and rid the pain and discomfort sometimes associated with misaligned bones.

There are a variety of approaches taken by chiropractors globally. Their techniques vary depending on the chiropractor; however, the general treatment is quick body manipulations that are usually pain-free. The body adjustments must be performed subtly and sensitively; therefore they require a lot of skill on behalf of the chiropractor to ensure the procedure is effective and will provide the patient with the desired result.

It is considered most beneficial to undergo chiropractic treatments on a regular basis in order to prevent future damage to the skeleton.

Chiropractic treatment is often compared to physiotherapy, as both are methods of body manipulation aiming to relieve pain and discomfort whilst improving mobility. However, the key difference between the two procedures is that physiotherapy is done on soft tissue, such as the areas in between the vertebrae (bones that make up your spine), rather than manipulating the actual spine.

Another treatment often compared to chiropractic is osteopathy, as both work by manipulating the spine. Despite this, osteopathy generally uses a long lever approach to manipulation compared to the short lever approach performed by chiropractors. The short lever technique is deemed more precise as it allows fine-tuning of individual vertebrate, whereas osteopathy is applied to the entire spine. 

Who is a chiropractic procedure?

A trained, registered chiropractor should always carry out chiropractic treatment. Currently, there are over 2500 chiropractors practising procedure and the majority of those are self-employed. They may be found working in clinics, a practice as part of a team of self-employed chiropractors or they may have their own practice.

To be officially regulated to perform chiropractic procedures, a chiropractor must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) who commends the chiropractor and gives their approval for legal chiropractic treatment on the public.

General Chiropractic Council (GCC) »