Chiropractic
About Chiropractic
Chiropractic is concerned with disorders of the musculoskeletal system. These impair the functioning of our nervous system and so adversely affect our general health. Chiropractic uses gentle adjustment of the spine and other joints to release these imbalances.
Chiropractic healthcare can be helpful in a wide range of conditions as well as making a profound contribution to our overall health and wellbeing.
Conditions for which it is particularly relevant include: pain or discomfort in the back, neck, shoulders, arms or legs; whiplash injuries and headaches; strain injuries; sports injuries. It can be very effective in improving mobility for the elderly; in pregnancy and following childbirth, and for children of all ages.
History
Chiropractic began in the 1890s with the work of Daniel Palmer in the USA. Today, more than a hundred years later, chiropractic is taught and practised throughout the world. The profession has earned recognition and broad acceptance for its services, including its central art of spinal adjustment.
The principal centre of chiropractic education in the UK is the Anglo European College of Chiropractic (AECC) at Bournemouth. Student practitioners must complete a demanding five year full-time course followed by a year of provisional registration.
Registration and regulation
The General Chiropractic Council (GCC) is the UK statutory body which regulates the chiropractic profession. Its task is to preserve high professional standards and to promote public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic treatment.
As of June 2001, anyone practising as a chiropractor in the UK must be registered with the GCC.