Chiropractic - Conditions commonly treated by chiropractors

Chiropractic treatments are often used for musculoskeletal conditions (which affect the muscles, bones and joints).

These conditions include:

• lower back pain
• neck pain 
• shoulder pain and problems
• slipped discs 
• leg pain and sciatica
• pain or problems with hip, knee, ankle and foot joints
• pain or problems with elbow, wrist and hand joints
• fibromyalgia 

Some chiropractors, however, claim to treat a wide range of conditions that are unrelated to muscles, bones and joints, such as:

• asthma 
• allergies 
• painful periods 
• infant colic
• headache and migraine
• high blood pressure (high blood pressure) 
• mental health conditions – such as depression, phobias or anxiety disorders
• gastrointestinal disorders (of the stomach and bowel)

They may also use chiropractic treatments to maintain overall good health.

Guidance from the General Chiropractic Council 

The General Chiropractic Council (GCC) says that treatment provided by chiropractors should:

• be informed by the best available evidence, the preferences of the patient and the expertise of practitioners
• be appropriate to the patient’s current state of health and health needs
• minimise risks to that patient

Anyone receiving chiropractic treatment must first give consent to treatment.

Recommended uses

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidelines to the NHS on the use of treatments and care of patients. Currently, NICE recommends that spinal manipulation – as practised by chiropractors – be considered as a treatment option for one condition, which is:

• persistent low back pain (that has lasted longer than six weeks, and less than one year)

Read the NICE guidelines on early management of persistent non-specific low back pain (PDF, 104kb).

Read information about the safety and regulation of chiropractic.