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Chiropractic is an alternative medicine treatment. Practitioners use their hands to help relieve patients’ joint, muscle and bone issues. They use techniques including spinal manipulation, moving joints into different positions, pulling and stretching muscles and short thrusting movements to alleviate pain. In order to work as a chiropractor in the UK, you’ll have to be registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC).
What does a chiropractor do?
Some of the daily tasks you can expect to carry out as a chiropractor include:
- Discussing patients’ symptoms to decide what is right for them
- Treating joint and muscle pain
- Helping clients recover from injuries, or improving poor posture
- Carrying out exams such as x-rays and blood tests
- Advising patients on lifestyle, diet and exercise to support their recovery
What’s it like to work as a chiropractor?
Working as a chiropractor can be very fulfilling, as you’re supporting your patients to recover from injuries or relieve chronic pain. You’ll be working with people of all ages and abilities to support them. Typically, you’ll have to work some weekends and evenings in order to be available at convenient times for your patients.
If you choose to open your own practice, you’ll also be responsible for the administration and advertising of the business, so if this is the route you want to go down, you’ll have to be prepared to take on these responsibilities. With this route, you’ll be able to set your own prices and working hours.
You may also choose to work for an already-established clinic, which would mean you would have less control over your working hours, but this would mean you wouldn’t be responsible for overseeing the running of the business.
What skills do you need to be a chiropractor?
In order to be successful as a chiropractor, you’ll need the following skills:
- Excellent understanding of the human body
- Strong communication skills
- Sensitivity to patients’ concerns
- Co-ordination skills
- Ability to stay calm under pressure
- Strong observational skills
- Business and marketing awareness (if you plan to be self-employed)
How much does a chiropractor earn?
Earnings in this career depend on your experience, as well as the fees you charge patients and the scale of your practice. The GCC suggests that the average earnings for the first year of work as a chiropractor is around £27,000 and you can expect this to increase as you build your experience and client base.
How to become a chiropractor
The only route to becoming a chiropractor in the UK is to register with the GCC. In order to register with the GCC, you must study an accredited course. Currently, only five universities in the UK are offering courses recognised by the GCC.
Study a chiropractic degree
In order to become a chiropractor, you’ll have to study one of the approved degree courses. Entry requirements for these courses range from 96-144 UCAS points and take between four and five years to complete. Courses with a foundation year may have lower entry requirements.
These courses are all integrated masters courses, meaning you’ll graduate with an MChiro degree. On these degrees, you’ll learn all the medical techniques you’ll need, and once you’ve graduated and registered with the GCC, you’ll be able to practice.
