How to choose a good Chiropractor

Looking for a good Chiropractor? Here  are our tips to find the best one for you…

There’s a lot of information available online about Chiropractors and Chiropractic. Sadly, there’s a lot of bad information. There’s also a lot of information that purports to be about Chiropractors and Chiropractic, but isn’t always the most reliable or accurate. Similarly, there are also some myths that many people believe about Chiropractic and Chiropractors that just aren’t true. This blog aims to set the record straight so that if you know you need a Chiropractor near you, you can find a good Chiropractor.

Of course if you’d like to check us out further, please feel free to look at our blog – including our posts about our initial consultation process. If you are ready you can also book in by clicking here. But, we recognise that we get people visiting our website who are not local or just don’t feel aligned with us or our vision. If this sums you up, the tips below will give you the knowledge, tips and know-how to choose a good Chiropractor near you.

Regulated Chiropractors: A sign of being a good Chiropractor.

In the UK it is illegal for someone to call themselves a ‘Chiropractor’ or a Doctor of Chiropractic unless they are regulated by the General Chiropractic Council. Being registered means that the Chiropractor has reached the standards to be registered. Registered Chiropractors have to  reach certain standards of care, are well educated and agree to be bound by professional codes of conduct. These codes serve to protect you and ensure consistency within your care.

Benefits of choosing a regulated Chiropractor

Choosing a registered Chiropractor gives you surety that they know their job and are skilled to help you. It also means that you have additional objective protection, backed by a statutory body. This gives you greater protection in the event an unlikely problem arises.

Be savvy by checking your Chiropractor is a regulated Chiropractor

Please be aware that if your practitioner does not call themselves a ‘Chiropractor’ they may not be registered. This is sadly even the case even if they offer Chiropractic, manipulation or physical therapy techniques. If in doubt, you can check the GCC register or ask the Chiropractor for their registration number for confirmation. Our professional advice is to always choose registered Chiropractors over non-registered Chiropractors.

Connective Chiropractic are registered Chiropractors 

Chiropractors at Connective Chiropractic are all registered Chiropractors. We are proud to display the “Registered” button on every page to make this clear. This button can only be shown by registered Chiropractors so is another sign that they are practicing legally.

Insured Chiropractors: A sign of being a good Chiropractor.

All regulated Chiropractors have to be insured and have sufficient insurance to cover both you and them if a problem arose. You can not guarantee a non-registered Chiropractor has the appropriate level of insurance.

Check association links: A sign of being a good Chiropractor.

Being a member of a Chiropractic association allows a Chiropractor to keep up to date on trends going on in the profession. Often this means they have their hand on the pulse on best education as well as medico-legal issues.

Understanding the Chiropractic Associations in the UK and their relevance to you

There are 4 Chiropractic associations in the UK. Chiropractors don’t technically have to be a member of any association. However, our recommendation would be to find someone who is a member of one. Knowing what association the Chiropractor is registered with does give you another objective place to chat to if you need additional support. You can call their association if you are unsure about Chiropractic, want some additional information or wish to make a higher-level complaint should you be unsatisfied with a response if you have raised a complaint directly with your practice, for example.

The 4 associations in the UK are, in alphabetical order, the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), The McTimoney Chiropractic Association (MCA), The Scottish Chiropractic Association (SCA) and The United Chiropractic Association (UCA).

Don’t trust media representations of the profession through individual associations.

Please note that the media often will talk with one association rather than all associations when making statements about the profession. However, any one association does not represent the whole of the profession. So,  you do have to be a little bit careful relying on any advice from any one association alone. The Alliance of UK Chiropractors is an umbrella organisation that links similar voices of the MCA, SCA and UCA together to increase clarity.

There are many techniques and approaches within Chiropractic so you will not notice a huge difference in care depending on association choice.

Chiropractors at Connective Chiropractic are members of the Alliance and the McTimoney Chiropractic Association. Owner and Principal Chiropractor, James Harrison has previously sat on the McTimoney Chiropractic Association Executive Committee.

Royal College of Chiropractors membership

Being a member of the Royal College of Chiropractors (RCC) is not essential as a sign of whether a Chiropractor is a good Chiropractor. However, being part of this prestigious institute does give an additional stamp of authority. RCC membership helps Chiropractors to stay up to date with further education. Membership often means that the Chiropractor is keen to focus on the best available evidence and to keep up to date. With its many faculties, some good Chiropractors will also specialise into different faculties of the Royal College.

Chiropractors at Connective Chiropractic are members of the Royal College of Chiropractic

The Author and vlog speaker

Dr James Harrison (Chiropractor) LL.B(Hons), MChiro, MMCA, LRCC Owner and Principal Chiropractor at Connective Chiropractic