What exactly does a chiropractor do?

Short answer: A chiropractor is a registered health practitioner who assesses and treats problems with the spine, joints, muscles and nerves, most often back pain, neck pain and headaches. They take your history, examine you, explain what they find, then use hands-on adjustments, other manual techniques, exercises and advice to help you move and feel better.

What is a chiropractor?

Chiropractic is a registered health profession focused on the musculoskeletal system: the spine, joints, muscles and the nerves that run through them. In Australia, chiropractors are primary contact practitioners, which means you can book directly without a referral.

What sets chiropractors apart is the emphasis on the spine and on hands-on care, particularly the chiropractic adjustment: a quick, controlled movement applied to a joint that isn't moving well. But a good chiropractor does a lot more than adjust. Assessment, explanation, exercise and advice are just as much part of the job.

Are chiropractors doctors?

Chiropractors in Australia commonly use the title "Dr", as dentists and some other health practitioners do. They aren't medical doctors, though. They don't prescribe medicines or perform surgery, and when using the title they're expected to make clear that they're chiropractors.

What they do have is substantial training and national registration:

• University trained. Becoming a chiropractor in Australia typically involves five years of university study, covering anatomy, physiology, neurology, diagnosis, imaging and chiropractic technique, plus supervised clinical training.
• Nationally registered. Chiropractors must be registered with the Chiropractic Board of Australia, through AHPRA, the same national agency that registers medical practitioners, physiotherapists, nurses and other health professions.
• Ongoing requirements. Registered chiropractors must meet the Board's standards, including continuing professional development and professional indemnity insurance.

You can check any chiropractor's registration on the public register on the AHPRA website.

What does a chiropractor do at an appointment?

A first visit with a chiropractor is mostly about finding out what's going on. Expect:

1. History. Your symptoms, how they started, what makes them better or worse, past injuries and general health.
2. Examination. Posture, movement, feeling the joints and muscles, and orthopaedic and neurological tests of your nerves, reflexes and strength.
3. Imaging if needed. A referral for X-rays only when your history and check point to them.
4. Explanation. What they found, what they think is causing it, and what they suggest.
5. Care. Depending on what's found, this can include adjustments, gentler mobilisation, table-assisted techniques, soft tissue work, home exercises and advice on posture, sleep, work set-up and activity.

For a close-up of the hands-on part, see what actually happens in a chiropractic adjustment.

What do chiropractors help with?

Most people see a chiropractor for musculoskeletal problems. The common ones include:

• Low back pain, including pain into the buttock or leg such as sciatica
• Neck pain and stiffness, including from desk work and phone use
• Headaches that come from the neck
• Upper back, shoulder, hip and pelvic pain
• Posture-related aches and stiffness

Clinical guidelines for low back pain include spinal manipulation among the options, alongside exercise and staying active. Whether chiropractic suits your problem depends on what the check finds. Our article how do I know if I need a chiropractor? covers the common signs.

Where the nervous system fits into what a chiropractor does

Chiropractors don't just look at bones and muscles. They pay close attention to the nervous system, because your spine is also a sensory organ. The small muscles deep around each vertebra are packed with sensors that keep telling your brain where your spine is and how it's moving. When a spinal joint isn't moving or being controlled well, that information can become patchy, and the brain's control of that segment can change.

Chiropractors call this a vertebral subluxation. Researchers now describe it as a change in how the brain controls a spinal segment, rather than a misaligned vertebra¹.

An adjustment sends a quick burst of fresh input from those deep tissues to the brain. In research studies, that has been followed by measurable changes, including in how the prefrontal cortex processes information from the body² and a short-term increase in the brain's drive to muscles³. When you adjust the spine, the nervous system responds. We explain the science in chiropractic and your nervous system.

What does a chiropractor do for lower back pain?

For low back pain specifically, a chiropractor will check your spine, pelvis and hips, and test the nerves into your legs. Care may include adjustments to stiff joints, a flexion-distraction table for low back and disc problems, exercises to build strength and movement, and advice on how to sit, lift and stay active while it settles. The aim is to ease pain, improve movement and help you look after your back yourself.

How we approach this at MPCC

At Mornington Peninsula Chiropractic, our chiropractors are Dr Ben Carvosso, who has been adjusting spines for 35 years (B.App.Sc. (Chiropractic)), and Dr Ryan Tan, who trained at RMIT and has an interest in posture and spinal rehabilitation.

Your first visit is a new patient appointment of 30 to 40 minutes: your story, digital posture pictures, and a thorough chiropractic, orthopaedic and neurological check of your spine, joints and nerves. Whether you're adjusted on the first visit is up to the clinical judgement of your chiropractor; often more testing comes first. At your report of findings appointment you get answers in plain English, and what we'd do. No referral needed, and HICAPS is on the desk for health fund claims.