FAQs

Chiropractic is a primary healthcare profession that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, with special emphasis on the spine. Chiropractic is a profession not a treatment, intervention or just adjusting the spine. Treatment normally includes hands on manual therapy such as manipulation or mobilisation of joints together with soft tissue work such as massage or stretching work. It may also include, exercise prescription or advice around health and lifestyle factors such as stress management or nutrition. Chiropractic, like other healthcare professions, is informed by the evidence base and develops accordingly.

Chiropractic in the UK is regulated by law. The General Chiropractic Council (GCC) is the statutory body which regulates the chiropractic profession. All chiropractors have to be registered with the GCC to practice legally in the United Kingdom which means they cannot call themselves a chiropractor unless they are registered.

The GCC is responsible for the overall regulation and development of the profession. It sets standards to make sure that chiropractors practise safely, that their education and training is thorough and that their behaviour is professional. All chiropractors have to provide evidence of yearly continued professional development learning to remain registered.

To qualify in the UK chiropractic undergraduates train for either 4 or 5 years to gain a GCC-accredited, university-validated MChiro or MSc degree, which enables them to apply to join the Chiropractic Register.

Yes, this is explained by the Royal College of Chiropractors:

"The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces guidelines for health professionals, helping them provide the most effective care for their patients. NICE guidance is based upon evidence and is reviewed regularly. Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for visiting a chiropractor and the NICE Low Back Pain and Sciatica Guideline ‘NG59’ provides clear recommendations for managing low back pain with or without sciatica, which always includes exercise and may include manual therapy (spinal manipulation, mobilisation or soft tissue techniques such as massage) as part of a treatment package, with or without psychological therapy.

Mobilisation and soft tissue techniques are performed by a wide variety of practitioners; whereas spinal manipulation is usually performed by chiropractors or osteopaths, and by doctors or physiotherapists who have undergone additional training in manipulation.

The evidence base for the care chiropractors provide (Clar et al, 2014) is common to that for physiotherapists and osteopaths in respect of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. Thus, like physiotherapists and osteopaths, chiropractors provide care for a wide range of MSK problems."

Unfortunately chiropractic care isn’t usually available on the NHS and will need to be funded privately.

Some private health insurers do cover the cost of chiropractic care and I would advise you to check your policy or contact your insurer directly for advice.

Currently I only accept patients on a “pay at time of appointment” basis, whereby the individual would pay for their sessions and then claim back from their insurance company directly.

No. Because chiropractic education prepares practitioners to recognise conditions that are not appropriate for chiropractic care, you don’t need a GP referral to visit a chiropractor.

Chiropractors are primary health care professionals which means many of our patients come to us without having first seen their GP.

Sometimes however, it is necessary to involve your GP or other healthcare practitioners in your treatment. In these instances I will discuss this with you and ask for your consent to communicate with them.

Yes, chiropractic care is safe when performed correctly by a trained and registered chiropractor.

Generally side effects experienced are those common to manual therapy and not unique to chiropractic. These might be mild to moderate aches and pains, stiffness and tiredness. If you have had a problem for some time, you may experience some post-treatment soreness in the early stages of your treatment plan. Side effects are usually mild and pass within a few days. It is also worth noting however that many patients don’t report any side-effects or discomfort at all.

More serious side effects following spine manipulation have been reported but are rare and I will always make you aware of any risks before beginning treatment. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, certain risks may increase. For this reason, I will always take a detailed medical history and examine you prior to treatment. It is essential that you provide me with accurate information regarding your medical history which will always be treated confidentially.

Following this, I will choose a method that aims to get the best results with the least side effects, the techniques will be appropriate to you. You should always let me know if you experience any side-effects and I can then adapt as necessary.

The first thing to mention is that the cracking/popping sound is not coming from the bones but rather from joints.

The joints we are adjusting are generally made up of two surfaces coming together and some fluid contained within a joint capsule.

This fluid reduces friction during movement. When the two surfaces of a joint are moved rapidly, as happens in some chiropractic manipulations, this causes a change of pressure within the joint space which releases a gas bubble. This is what causes the sound, but it is not significant and does not hurt.

Yes you can. Musculoskeletal care pre and post surgery can help with recovery. Aspects such as managing pain, maintaining and regaining mobility and increasing strength would be areas of focus.

It may be that other areas in the body are also in need of some treatment due to the stresses of off loading the other problem site, for example limping.

If you have had surgery I would always want to know the details of this and consider any aftercare advice and recommendations you have been provided with by the team that carried out the procedure.

Can I bring someone with me?

Yes you are welcome to bring someone with you to your appointment. Some people find it makes them feel more at ease and others find it helpful to support with the information given or discussed.

If you do bring someone with you please ensure that you are happy discussing your medical information in front of them, as in some cases we may need to ask personal, sensitive questions.

On occasion, I as the treating chiropractor may want another person (a ‘chaperone’) to be present during your treatment, though this is not a common occurrence in adult patients. All minors however will need to be accompanied by a person with parental responsibility or legal guardianship.

Can I bring my child with me?

Yes of course. If you are having treatment and have a younger child I have a small pop up play pen that can be used.

The clinic is in a home setting with the treatment space being in a garden studio. There is easy access for parking and side access along the house. You will need to cross a section of grass and there are a couple steps up into the studio. This means unfortunately, it is not likely to be suitable for those unable to do this. Also please note I do not have a wheelchair “accessible” toilet on site.

I am of course happy to help and adapt where possible but it may be worth a call to me first so that we can discuss any needs, or choosing to visit a more accessible clinic at this time.

Unfortunately not. The guidance I follow requires me to use a professional language interpreter. This is to prevent a range of risks and issues that can occur otherwise.

For example, using a friend or relative as an interpreter may prevent patients from disclosing sensitive health issues, making it difficult to provide safe and effective care. Further information may be mis-understood or misinterpreted which could create gaps in the information shared and open up potential risks. There are also safeguarding issues that may arise together with difficulty to ensure informed consent.

Professional language interpretation services are available but would add significantly to the cost of the appointment. This is something I can look into if necessary, but it may be helpful to look at other NHS options where these services are of no cost to you, may be easier to access and are more readily available.

Your recovery will be depend on many factors, for example; the problem, how long you have had it, your general health and the commitment you are able to provide to any rehab exercises or any lifestyle recommendations made.

Your treatment plan will always be based on your individual needs but from experience most people will need a course of treatment with sessions occurring one or more times a week. It is common for this to be a couple of times a week for the first couple of weeks and for these to be spread out as you progress. We vary this depending on how well you are doing.

Following the initial care plan many patients will not require any further treatment; this is generally 6-8 sessions, though again, this is individualised and some patients may need less. Similarly however, those with complex, long-term or reoccurring conditions may require a period of extended care. If you are not improving within a few weeks of starting treatment or the timescale we expect and have discussed, then I will review other options with you and refer you to another healthcare professional if required.

You can decided to stop treatment any time you like and utilise chiropractic care as little or as much as you wish. Some patients who have long term issues or those who participate regularly in training or sports choose to pay a regular visits or have a periodic check-in, to maintain or help them achieve goals; much like someone might choose to have a regular sports massage. My goal however is always for you to take control of your own health and play an active role in this rather than be dependant on care. I want to equip you with the knowledge and tools to understand your condition, manage symptoms and reduce risk of future injury.

Although it is difficult to predict the exact length of time it takes to get better, it is usually helpful if you don’t wait until your condition worsens or becomes chronic, so please give me a call or get yourself booked in if you need some help.

The main purpose of the first visit is to understand you, your problem and your goals so that we can make the best plan possible to get you to where you want to be.

This means that the initial assessment including taking a full medical history and performing a physical examination (please read what to expect) will take priority, together with explaining to you what I have found and ensuring that you fully understand and have had any questions answered.

I will always aim to begin some treatment in the first session but this will depend on your specific problem, how long it has taken us to get to this point and whether of course it is appropriate. If we are unable to get to “hands-on” care in your first visit I will always provide advice and guidance to start you moving forward.

To help things along please make sure to have read preparing for my first visit and to have pre-filled in the short registration and health history form. This will allow us to make the most of our session together.

This is a very common question and my usual response is that they are all very similar using manual therapy, exercise prescription and health and lifestyle interventions to help their patients. I believe therefore it is really more about the professional you choose rather than the profession.

Finding someone you can talk to easily, trust and you like the way they treat, goes a long way to helping the recovery process.

If you are unsure whether chiropractic is the right approach for you then please feel free to call me to and I can answer any questions that you might have.

Also checkout the various website sections for much more information.