ColQuiroAssociation of University Chiropractors of Chile
EspañolES
About Chiropractic

What is Chiropractic?

A health profession devoted to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and their effects on general health.

International definitions

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chiropractic is a health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on general health.

The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) complements this view, highlighting that chiropractic is an evidence-based discipline focused on the care of the spine, the nervous system and the overall function of the body.

International recognition

Chiropractic is recognised and regulated in much of the world as a university health profession, which ensures rigorous training in biomedical sciences, clinical diagnosis and supervised practice. In countries such as the United States, professionals graduate as Doctor of Chiropractic (DC).

Thanks to this international framework, patients who see a university-trained chiropractor can be assured of safe, effective care backed by leading global bodies such as the WHO and the WFC.

Who are chiropractors?

Chiropractors are health professionals trained in university programmes that meet the international standards set by the WHO and the WFC. These bodies ensure that teaching includes biomedical sciences, clinical diagnosis, manual techniques and supervised practice.

Universities with official chiropractic programmes are listed on the WFC website (Chiropractic Educational Institutions – WFC), which allows countries where the profession is not yet regulated —such as Chile— to have international backing.

In Chile, the only chiropractors with an internationally recognised degree are graduates of Universidad Central and those who have studied abroad at a validated university, such as the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, among others.

Last updated: October 2025
Frequently asked questions

Your questions answered

Are chiropractors physiotherapists, or do they need to be?

Not necessarily. Chiropractic is a profession independent from physiotherapy (kinesiología in Chile), with its own curriculum that requires passing specific courses, sitting a degree exam and presenting a thesis to obtain the professional degree. In Chile, because for several years chiropractic was taught as a second university degree mostly taken by physiotherapists, this confusion arises. In countries with an undergraduate chiropractic programme, students obtain the degree directly without needing a previous one.

Are there short programmes or courses to study chiropractic?

No short programme grants the title of chiropractor, because training in this profession is internationally regulated. This guarantees a minimum standard of knowledge and skills needed to practise safely and professionally. The only recognised and valid programmes are those listed by the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC).

Are chiropractors medical doctors?

No. Chiropractors are health professionals with specific university training in chiropractic —in countries such as the United States they graduate as Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)— but they are not medical doctors. Their practice focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system. Some medical doctors have also studied chiropractic; what matters is that their chiropractic training comes from a WFC-validated programme.

Are osteopaths chiropractors?

No. Although both disciplines work with the musculoskeletal system and seek to improve body function, they are different professions, with different curricula and paradigms.

Is it “Quiropráctica” or “Quiropraxia”?

Both Spanish terms refer to the same profession, but the correct Spanish form is Quiropráctica. In Chile the word Quiropraxia, which actually comes from Portuguese, has become more widespread.