Chiropractic is a fast-growing independent health care profession in the United Kingdom and it is regulated by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). Chiropractic is concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on the functions of the nervous system and general health. There is an emphasis on manual treatments including spinal manipulation or adjustment. Chiropractors take an integrated and holistic approach to the health needs of their patients, considering physical, psychological and social factors. They provide care and support by reducing pain and disability and by restoring normal function to people with neuro-musculoskeletal disorders. A Medical Research Council clinical trial and its follow-up, reported in the British Medical Journal in 1990 and 1995, found that chiropractic treatment of back pain was more effective than hospital outpatient treatment. The European Commission Acute Low Back Pain Guidelines includes manipulation as an effective treatment for low back pain.
