Chiropractic is a fast-growing independent health care profession
here in the UK. It is regulated by the General Chiropractic Council
and is recognised by the Royal College of General Practitioners
as being highly effective in treating back pain.
Treatment is primarily a safe, drug free and often quite gentle,
manipulation of the spine and other joints - thus allowing the
parts of the body that are not moving properly to do so.
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.
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 adjustments.
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.