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A Career In Chiropractic

Are you a person who likes to care for and support others? Are you contemplating a career in one of the health care professions but can�t make up your mind which? Chiropractic could be just the job!

Chiropractic is a profession that specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions which are due to mechanical dysfunction of the joints and their effects on the nervous system. Chiropractors use their hands to adjust the joints of the spine and extremities to improve mobility and relieve pain. This treatment is known as �adjustment� or �manipulation�, and allows the body�s own healing powers to improve health and well-being.

Chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or use surgical procedures and they treat people of all ages � from new-born babies to the elderly � without the need for a referral from a GP. However, with the ever-increasing amount of clinical evidence of chiropractic effectiveness in the treatment of a range of conditions such as back pain, headaches, sports injuries, arthritis and many others, more and more GPs are sending their patients to chiropractors for treatment.

The chiropractic profession is regulated by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), which was established under the auspices of the Chiropractors Act of 1994, and which opened a Register in 1999. All chiropractors must be registered with the GCC in order to practise legally in the UK.

Why be a chiropractor?

The establishment of the GCC has led to an increased awareness of chiropractic, and the benefits it can provide, amongst the general public and healthcare professionals. Patients who have experienced a huge improvement in their quality of life are asking for chiropractic care � and telling their friends and relatives. As a result, the demand for qualified, registered practitioners is high and continuing to grow.
The profession provides a very rewarding, satisfying and potentially lucrative career. However, it is not an easy option.

The GCC has set the standards of education in chiropractic and all chiropractors must have graduated from an accredited institution before being accepted onto the Register.

The GCC has set a minimum standard of 3600 taught hours for its accredited chiropractic courses, and the British Chiropractic Association, the largest and longest-established of the professional associations for UK chiropractors, only accepts graduates who have gone through a minimum four-year full-time internationally-accredited course where the number of taught hours exceeds 5000.

The BCA-accepted courses cover in-depth training in a variety of subjects including life sciences, biomechanics, clinical medicine and differential diagnosis. Practitioners also undergo practical training in adjustment and supervised clinical training, where they have hands-on practice in treating patients. An additional year of supervised training is a requirement of membership of the BCA .

To ensure that chiropractors keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date, the General Chiropractic Council will shortly be introducing a mandatory requirement for chiropractors to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) as a requirement for re-registration on an annual basis.