Chiropractic Regulation and Care
Chiropractic is regulated by Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The Chiropractors Act 1994 gives regulatory powers to the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). The GCC’s register of chiropractors opened in June 1999 and approximately 3000 chiropractors are currently registered. It is illegal for anyone in the UK who is not registered with the GCC to describe themselves as a chiropractor. For more information about the GCC, visit www.gcc-uk.org
Chiropractic care Chiropractic is a profession, not a treatment. Chiropractors provide a package of care after taking a detailed case history and performing a thorough examination, which considers all aspects of the presenting complaint. This package of care may include spinal manipulation, physical treatments drawn from all types of manual therapy as well as exercise, muscular therapies and a range of advice on activity, lifestyle and prevention. The most compelling evidence for chiropractic care relates to low back pain, but chiropractors help people manage a range of other conditions. This does not necessarily mean that joint manipulation is used, but that the package of care given by the chiropractor provides relief.