28/04/2026
Prof. Richard Brown,International Consultant, Speaker
Chiropractors are arguably best known for their non-surgical, non-pharmacological approach to evidence-based spine care.
This includes spinal manipulation, often referred to by chiropractors as “spinal adjustment”.
It cannot be learned overnight or during weekend courses or by watching reels on social media. It takes years of training and practice to develop complex psychomotor skills to detect dysfunctional vertebral joints and deliver safe, precise manual techniques to restore and optimise movement.
Chiropractors receive years of training so that they can recognise those patients most likely to benefit from spinal manipulation and those for whom other approaches might be more beneficial.
Within modern, evidence-based chiropractic care, spinal manipulation/adjustment is:
🔹Applied selectively, not routinely
🔹Based on clinical reasoning and patient consent
🔹Used to reduce pain and improve function
🔹Integrated with education, exercise, and active rehabilitation
International clinical guidelines have long recognised spinal manipulation as one of several non-surgical options for managing spinal pain, particularly as part of a broader, multimodal approach.
Chiropractic is a profession, not a technique. We have a duty to apply our skills judiciously and know when and when not to apply manual techniques. Anything less turns us into technicians, to the detriment of the populations we serve.