Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractors provide a therapeutic approach to care that incorporates a range of manual therapies which may include spinal adjustments, mobilisation, posture analysis, exercise and stretches, rehabilitation, and lifestyle advice.
Chiropractors make an assessment and develop a treatment plan in accordance with the needs of the patient and provide advice on future management strategies.

Chiropractors are not only trained to treat musculoskeletal pain patients, they are also trained to facilitate health promotion and lifestyle advice, posture correction and patient education.
Chiropractic care can get great results for back pain, neck pain and headaches as well as being beneficial for our overall health and wellbeing.

Chiropractors use skill, not force or strength to conduct specific chiropractic adjustments. Various types of manual therapy and low force interventions are also used where appropriate. Chiropractic care has a very low risk profile, especially when compared with more invasive methods of spinal healthcare however, all forms of chiropractic treatment have the potential for adverse reactions in some people.

A chiropractic adjustment is the application of a specific force in a precise direction, applied skilfully to a spinal joint that is fixated, “locked up”, not moving as it should or out of alignment. This can help improve or restore motion to the joint, helping the spine to gradually regain more normal motion and function. There are many ways to adjust the spine. Usually the chiropractor’s hands or a specially designed instrument delivers a brief and highly-accurate thrust. Some adjusting methods are quick, whereas others require a slow, constant or indirect pressure. Restoring better spinal function can help improve mobility, vitality, and endurance.

While brief discomfort after an adjustment can occur, it is rare and most people find having an adjustment very relaxing. With some adjustments you may sometimes feel or hear a popping sound from the spinal joints. This is simply caused by a change in pressure in the joint, as spinal movement is improved. Whatever the technique, chiropractors use skill, not force or strength, to care for people with the highest degree of safety and effectiveness.

In Australia, chiropractors share a common tertiary education pathway with osteopaths and physiotherapists. Chiropractic education involves undergraduate and/or masters-level university training over five years.


Chiropractic pre-professional training requires a significant proportion of the curricula to be clinical subjects related to evaluating and caring for patients. As part of professional training, final-year students must also complete a minimum of a one-year supervised clinical internship.

All registered chiropractors must complete mandatory continuing education each year in order to maintain registration and practice as a non-pharmacological, non-surgical spine care and musculoskeletal-allied healthcare professional