Chiropractor: Salary and Career Prospects
As a chiropractor you’ll use physical manipulation, massage and rehabilitative exercise to treat patients with a range of conditions, often related to the spine, including:
- arthritic pain including osteoarthritis
- back, shoulder and neck pain
- joint stiffness, pain and discomfort
- muscular aches
- sports injuries.
Using your hands to apply a specific force to free joints in the spine (or other joints of the body that aren’t moving properly) your aim is to relieve pain, increase mobility and to get patients back to full health and movement. You’ll take a holistic approach to treating patients, looking at the underlying causes of their illness and not just the symptoms. Treatment is designed to encourage the body’s natural healing process and doesn’t include surgery or drugs. As a chiropractor, you’ll need to:
- take detailed medical histories from your patients, including information on previous injuries, surgery, general health and lifestyle
- conduct physical examinations, focusing on the spine and posture, and noting the range of movement
- take and interpret x-rays, if necessary
- check blood pressure and perform other medical tests if necessary
- assess symptoms, make a diagnosis and explain it to your patient
- establish an appropriate treatment or management plan with your patient
- perform adjustments of the joints of the spine and extremities using your hands or specialist equipment
- perform soft tissue therapies, such as massage
- educate and advise patients on rehabilitation exercises to aid long-term recovery and techniques to ensure health is maintained
- keep accurate and confidential clinical records
- liaise with other healthcare practitioners and refer patients requiring other medical attention.
Salary of a chiropractor in the UK
- As you’ll typically be self-employed your salary will depend on how much you charge and how successful your business is. Fees for patients are usually between £30 and £80 per session. This varies depending on the length of the session and your location.
- Financial rewards can be good if you have the right combination of skills and experience and own a large practice employing others.
Your salary will typically rise with experience as you’ll be able to charge more per session and you’re likely to build up a bigger client base. Salaries may also be affected by any links you have with GP practices and other healthcare professionals, as this may supply referrals.
*Income figures are intended as a guide only.*
What to expect as a chiropractor
- You may work alone, with other chiropractors in group practices, or alongside related practitioners such as physiotherapists or massage therapists.
- Opportunities exist throughout the UK, with practices in both urban and rural areas. You can also work from home.
- The work is both physically and mentally demanding, but also rewarding.
- Regulation of the profession includes a strong code of ethics. Confidentiality and discretion are important.
- Some chiropractors work at several practices, so you may need to travel between practices. There may be opportunities to work abroad as the majority of UK chiropractic qualifications are recognised overseas.
Skills a chiropractor should have
- the ability to cope with the intellectual and physical demands of the training and the profession
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- coordination skills
- the ability to show empathy and work sensitively with a range of patients
- an enquiring and critical mind
- strong observational skills, a logical approach and the ability to problem solve in order to diagnose effectively
- initiative, independence and business awareness.
Work experience of a chiropractor
To get on to a course, you may be expected to have some experience of chiropractic treatments. Some training providers want you to have shadowed a chiropractor for a certain amount of time (e.g. one day) while others may expect you to have had a treatment yourself. You could also consider becoming a student member of a relevant professional body. This will give you access to resources and help you to demonstrate your commitment to the profession.
Career prospects of a chiropractor
Many newly qualified chiropractors begin their career working for another chiropractor in private practice as an associate. However, with some experience and a potential client base established, there are many opportunities to set up your own practice within the early stages of your career. You can also work in partnership with other chiropractors or health professionals.
In order to create a successful practice, you need to build up a good reputation, which will lead to an increased client base. Marketing your business is important, and networking with other practitioners and complementary therapists may help. Some chiropractors work in a group practice, while others may work in a more diverse clinic with other healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists, acupuncturists and massage therapists.
There may also be some opportunities for NHS commissioning, franchising and locum work. Once established, you may develop specialist interests or work with specific patient groups in areas such as:
- animal care
- diagnostic imaging
- orthopaedics and rehabilitation
- paediatrics
- sports injuries.