Look well to the spine for the cause of disease.

Chiropractic is a health profession, within complementary medicine, and was born in the United States of America through it's founder D.D. Palmer in 1985 and it aims at identifying and correcting subluxations. These dysfunctions in the joints of the spinal column, are to be corrected with the goal of re-establishing the normal function of the nervous system via neurological, muscular and joint stimuli to obtain biomechanical correction of the spinal column.

To achieve this corrective intervention, chiropractic care uses a set of techniques, essentially adjustments (specific spinal manipulations) that aim at improving the nerve flux of the central nervous system to the entire organism and in that way aid in the maintenance of the central and peripheral nervous system, via an optimal functioning of the spine.

Chiropractic care is the third largest and more relevant health profession in the western world, only being preceded by conventional medicine and dentistry. In Portugal, chiropractic treatment has been only around since the 1980's and is regulated and included in so-called complementary medicine. In the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and in parts of Europe this practice is an integral part of the respective national health systems. Chiropractors enjoy the status of primary healthcare professionals, that is, they work autonomously and independently, referring patients to other specialties when they see fit.

Chiropractic training is considered an integrated master's degree, as it involves between 4 and 5 years of university academic training, with around 4200 hours of teaching, and a 1-year clinical internship, which aims to improve and integrate all knowledge and experience in clinical practice, including diagnosis, knowledge of pathology, neurology and physiology.