Becoming a Chiropractor

A fulfilling lifelong career

If you are passionate about helping others and looking for a rewarding yet flexible lifelong career, becoming a chiropractor may be the profession for you.  With about 3,500 chiropractors in the UK, mostly in private practice, chiropractic it is an essential and valued component of the UK's health and social care system. 

Chiropractors are trained to use a range of techniques when treating their patients. They are best known for using manual care methods, including spinal and joint manipulation (also referred to as ‘adjustment’) but may also use other hands-on or instrument-assisted approaches. Chiropractors also provide lifestyle advice and exercises to help patients manage their condition. This may include dietary and nutritional advice as well as strategies to manage stress and discomfort. 

As with many healthcare disciplines, chiropractic is a regulated profession. To practise and call yourself a chiropractor, you must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), the same way doctors are with the GMC or dentists with the GDC.

The General Chiropractic Council

To begin, the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) is not a membership association but one of nine UK health and social care regulators. Although we are the smallest regulator, our role, responsibilities and functions are the same as those of the General Medical Council for doctors or the General Dental Council for dentists. 

Our primary role is to protect the health and safety of the public by ensuring the highest standards of chiropractic practice within the profession.

We do this by:

1. Maintaining the UK Register of all chiropractors. It is illegal to call or refer to yourself as a chiropractor unless registered with the GCC. 
2. Publishing a Code covering the standards of chiropractic practice and professional conduct that all chiropractors must meet. 
3. Developing and maintaining chiropractic Education Standards for those who wish to become chiropractors
4. Taking action if a chiropractor fails to meet our standards

Is chiropractic the career for me?

To become a chiropractor and practise in the UK, you will need to complete an approved chiropractic degree, register with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), and meet and maintain the requirements of the Code. These criteria are essential to ensure that all chiropractors treat patients safely and to a consistently high standard. 

In this Society for Promoting Chiropractic Education (SPCE) video, you will hear from chiropractors and students about their experiences within the chiropractic profession.

Finally, we have created three informative sections to help you decide if becoming a chiropractor is the career for you, from choosing where to study to registering with the GCC.

Next: Studying to become a chiropractor