What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractors provide care for patients of all ages, who present with a range of acute and chronic conditions.  As well as advice about self-help, exercise, diet and lifestyle, chiropractors often provide support for pain management, sports injuries and active rehabilitation. Our Patient Information Leaflet gives you an idea of what you can expect when you see a Chiropractor.

Chiropractic is a fast-growing independent health care profession in the United Kingdom  and it is regulated by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). To find a Chiropractor in your area, you can either call the GCC on 0845 601 1796 or use the Search facility on this website.

Chiropractic is concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on the function of the nervous system and general health.  There is an emphasis on manual treatments including spinal manipulation or adjustment (World Federation of Chiropractic, 1999).

Chiropractors take an integrated and holistic approach to the health needs of their patients, considering physical, psychological and social factors.  They provide care and support by reducing pain and disability and by restoring normal function to people with neuro-musculoskeletal disorders.

A Medical Research Council clinical trial and its follow-up, reported in the British Medical Journal in 1990 and 1995, found that chiropractic treatment of back pain was more effective than hospital outpatient treatment.  The European Commission Acute Low Back Pain Guidelines includes manipulation as an effective treatment for low back pain.

European Guidelines for the management of acute low back pain

The Department of Health has published A Musculoskeletal Services Framework for England. It summarises the current state of musculoskeletal services and makes recommendations for offering more care closer to home, with improved ways to accesss diagnostic tests. The document is aimed at helping local health communities deliver the maximum wait of 18 weeks by improving orthopaedic services.

The Musculoskeletal Services Framework focuses on the prompt delivery of effective front-line services. To lessen the burden on GPs, it is planned that NHS patients' needs could be assessed by chiropractors, osteopaths or physiotherapists, without a GP referral.