Profession chiropractor

Chiropractors are responsible for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders related to the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health. They are independent primary health care professionals.

Personality Type

• Social / Investigative

Knowledge

• Geriatrics

  Geriatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Human physiology

  The science that studies the human organs and its interactions and mechanisms.

• Neurology

  Neurology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Manage healthcare staff

  The managerial tasks and responsibilities required in a health care setting.

• Musculoskeletal anatomy

  The human musculoskeletal system, comprising of the skeleton, muscles, cartilage, tendons, joints and other connective tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together. The human musculoskeletal system's primary functions, such as supporting the body, allowing motion, and protecting vital organs.

• Epidemiology

  The branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution and control of diseases. The disease aetiology, transmission, outbreak investigation, and comparisons of treatment effects.

• Radiation effects on human body

  The way specific body parts are more specifically affected by exposure to different types of radiation sources.

• Orthopaedic conditions

  The physiology, pathophysiology, pathology, and natural history of common orthopaedic conditions and injuries.

• Rehabilitation of all organ systems

  The principles of physical medicine and rehabilitation of all organ systems as related to physiotherapy.

• Medical informatics

  The processes and tools used for the analysis and dissemination of medical data through computerized systems.

• Psychology

  The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.

• Sociology

  The group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

• Obstetrics and gynaecology

  Obstetrics and gynaecology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Orthopaedics

  Orthopaedics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• General medicine

  General medicine is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Endocrinology

  Endocrinology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Neuropathology

  The manners in which the peripheral and central nervous system responds to tumours, infections or inflammation as well as to immune mediated mechanisms.

• Microbiology-bacteriology

  Microbiology-Bacteriology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Kinetics

  The study of movement and its causes.

• Neuroanatomy

  The different parts of the nervous system.

• Somatic integrated modalities

  The indications, contraindications and modifications of physiotherapeutic modalities and other manual and therapeutic modalities based on various conditions and situations.

• Kinesiology

  The study of human movement, performance and function, the sciences of biomechanics, anatomy, physiology and neuroscience.

• Rehabilitation

  The methods and procedures used to help an ill or injured person restore lost skills and regain self-sufficiency and control.

• Human anatomy

  The dynamic relationship of human structure and function and the muscosceletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems; normal and altered anatomy and physiology throughout the human lifespan.

• Paediatrics

  Paediatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Neurophysiology

  The medical specialty which is concerned with the study of the nervous system functionalities.

• Biological chemistry

  Biological chemistry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Biomechanics

  The use of mechanical means to understand the function and structure of biological organisms.

• Radiation physics in healthcare

  The radiation physics related to conventional radiology, CT, MRI, ultrasound, diagnostic nuclear medicine and their principles such as areas of application, indications, contraindications, limitations and radiation hazards.

• Orthopaedic treatment alternatives

  The appropriate available non-operative and operative treatment alternatives for common orthopaedic conditions and injuries, the benefits and limitations of each type of treatment as well as any potential side effects or complications of the treatment.

• Exercise physiology

  The effect of exercise on pathology and how the exercise can mitigate or reverse disease progression.

• Evidence-based approach in general practice

  The general principles, methods and concepts of scientific research and the fundamentals of statistics in medical care. The scientific background of pathology and theories about the forming of hypotheses and problem-solving.

• First aid

  The emergency treatment given to a sick or injured person in the case of circulatory and/or respiratory failure, unconsciousness, wounds, bleeding, shock or poisoning.

Skills

• Operate medical imaging equipment

  Produce high quality medical images using technologically advanced medical imaging equipment such as CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), mobile X-ray machines, ultrasound (US), nuclear medicine with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT).

• Conduct neurological examination

  Obtain a thorough understanding of the neurodevelopmental history of the patient, making a partial neurological assessment by observation in the case of uncooperative patients.

• Collect healthcare user's general data

  Collect qualitative and quantitative data related to the healthcare user's anagraphic data and provide support on filling out the present and past history questionnaire and record the measures/tests performed by the practitioner.

• Triage clients

  Contribute to the triage process to assign clients to the most appropriate management pathway for their condition, in collaboration with other healthcare practitioners.

• Undertake clinical chiropractic research

  Undertake research activities such as research papers, critical reviews, case studies, editorials, expert commentaries and book reviews in order to improve the evidence base for chiropractic and assist chiropractors in the management of their patients.

• Advise on pregnancy

  Counsel patients on normal changes occurring in pregnancy, providing advice on nutrition, drug effects and other lifestyle changes.

• Write reports on neurological tests

  Provide a written report to the referring doctor for every test taken, interpreting results.

• Apply massage therapy

  Apply massage therapy to relieve patient's pain by using various specialised techniques.

• Assist patients with rehabilitation

  Assist to develop and restore patient`s body systems, their neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, helping them in the rehabilitation process.

• Create solutions to problems

  Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.

• Follow clinical guidelines

  Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.

• Adhere to health well-being and safety

  Comply with and apply the main points of health well-being and safety policy and procedures, in accordance with employer's policies. Report health and safety risks that have been identified and follow the appropriate procedures if an accident or injury should occur.

• Deal with emergency care situations

  Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.  

• Empathise with the healthcare user

  Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.

• Apply caseload management

  Manage a number of patients within a given amount of time, striving to provide optimum health services.

• Advise on rehabilitation exercises

  Educate and advise on rehabilitation exercises to aid long-term recovery, teaching the appropriate techniques to ensure health is maintained.

• Analyse X-ray imagery

  Analyse X-ray imagery in order to locate the sources of patients` difficulties and interpret the findings.

• Cover a variety of health conditions

  Deal with a wide range of health conditions, intervening in acute, chronic, preventative, palliative and emergency care.

• Educate on the prevention of illness

  Offer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and health conditions. Provide advice on the identification of risks leading to ill health and help to increase the patients' resilience by targeting prevention and early intervention strategies.

• Observe record keeping standards in chiropractics

  Ensure good standards of record keeping for all activities relating to patients, and to chiropractic patients specifically.

• Post-process medical images

  Perform post-processing on medical images, or develop X-ray films, checking processed images to determine if further care is necessary.

• Comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

  Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.

• Contribute to the rehabilitation process

  Contribute to the rehabilitation process to enhance activity, functioning and participation using a person-centered and evidence-based approach.

• Promote health in specialised care

  Identify health promotion and education needs for patients within the field of specialisation and develop and implement strategies as appropriate.

• Have good bedside manner

  Make patients feel comfortable and speak to them in a pleasant tone.

• Measure effectiveness of the service provided

  Use a problem-solving approach to develop and measure recommendations for improving the quality of professional practice in increasingly unpredictable contexts, contributing to change and development within the profession or service at a local, regional or national level.

• Formulate a treatment plan

  Formulate a treatment plan and evaluation analysis based on collected data following assessment using a clinical reasoning process.

• Advise patients on health and lifestyle issues

  Advise patients on issues related to health and lifestyle, such as exercise, nutrition, and sleep habits.

• Apply supports for spinal adjustment

  Apply supports such as braces, straps, tapes, bandages and shoe inserts in order to treat and relieve the patient`s pain.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Manage clinical risk

  Improve the quality and safe delivery of healthcare, placing special emphasis on identifying those circumstances that place clients, their families and carers, staff, students and others at risk of harm and act to prevent or control those risks.

• Develop therapeutic relationships

  Maintain the individual therapeutic relationship to engage the individual's innate healing capacities, to achieve active collaboration in the health education and healing process and to maximise the potential of healthy change.

• Refer healthcare users

  Make referrals to other professionals, based on the healthcare user's requirements and needs, especially when recognising that additional healthcare diagnostics or interventions are required.

• Conduct chiropractic examination

  Undertake chiropractic assessment, incorporating data collected physical examinations, process of evaluating objective anatomic findings through the use of observation, palpation, percussion, and auscultation, chirorpactic examination and information derived from other relevant sources.

• Manage acute pain

  Handle patients with acute pain and ease their pain accordingly.

• Prepare patients for surgery

  Assign patients to the best treatment area for their condition, according to priority for surgery.

• Perform clinical neurophysiological examinations

  Perform clinical neurophysiological examinations, an extension of a neurologic consultation, which can verify or exclude a clinical suspicion, but also give precise definition of site, type and degree of the lesion and reveal abnormalities that are clinically uncertain, silent or unsuspected.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Develop plans related to client discharge

  Organise discharge planning, when applicable, across a range of healthcare settings, communicating effectively and ensuring that the client and carers are involved in the decision making process.

• Provide information on chiropractic treatment outcomes

  Provide information on therapeutic outcomes and any inherent risks to the client, ensuring that the client understands, and acting in accordance with ethical principles and local/national policies where the client does not have the capacity to understand.

• Conduct physical examinations

  Conduct physical examination of healthcare users, looking for signs of dysfunction and sub-optimal function and analysing the patient`s systems, posture, spine and reflexes.

• Develop plans related to the transfer of care

  Organise transfer of care, when applicable, across a range of healthcare settings, communicating effectively and ensuring that the patient/client and carers are involved in the decision making process.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Provide health education

  Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.

• Apply health sciences

  Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.

• Apply specific manual chiropractic techniques

  Strive to decrease pain caused by neuro-muscular system dysfunction by using specific muscle tissue and joints adjustment and/or general manipulation/mobilisation.

• Motivate patiens

  Encourage the patient's motivation to change and promote the belief that therapy can help, using techniques and treatment engagement procedures for this purpose.

• Advocate health

  Advocate for health promotion, well-being and disease or injury prevention on behalf of clients and the profession to enhance community, public and population health.

• Contribute to quality physiotherapy services

  Participate in activities that promote quality, particularly in the acquisition and evaluation of equipment, resources, safe storage and supply management.

• Prescribe treatments related to surgical procedures

  Prescribe treatment before and after the surgery, such as sedatives, diets, antibiotics, and preparation and treatment of the patient`s operative area.

• Record healthcare users' progress related to treatment

  Record the healthcare user's progress in response to treatment by observing, listening and measuring outcomes.

• Maintain treatment records

  Keep accurate records and file reports related to the prescribed treatment or medication.

• Adhere to organisational code of ethics

  Adhere to organisational European and regional specific standards and code of ethics, understanding the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and apply this awareness.

• Advise on healthcare users' informed consent

  Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.

• Manage chiropractic staff

  Recruit, train and manage chiropractic staff within the unit and care team, ensuring clinically effective service to all patients referred to the unit.

• Interact with healthcare users

  Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.

• Develop chiropractic treatment plans

  Develop new chiropractic treatment plan and review the existing components such as chiropractic manual therapy, manual therapy of soft tissue and other tissue, therapeutic range of motion, therapeutic rehabilitative exercise and the application of technological equipment (ultrasound, traction, electrical and light modalities).

• Assess referred healthcare users

  Assess healthcare users admitted under other medical specialties.

• Educate on preventing injuries

  Educate and advise patients and their caregivers about how to prevent injuries and conditions and improve existing conditions.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Ensure safety of healthcare users

  Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.

• Apply business acumen

  Take appropriate actions in a business environment in order to maximise possible outcome from each situation.

• Assess chiropractic intervention

  Assess chiropractic interventions based on re-evaluation of the client`s response to treatment.

• Ensure proper appointment administration

  Set up a proper procedure to manage appointments, including policies related to cancellation and nonappearance.

• Provide stabilisation care in emergency

  Provide comprehensive, immediate, and stabilising care in an emergency situation, such as cardiovascular and respiratory emergencies, poisonings and disasters, independent of the location of the emergency, using techniques such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid treatment of polytrauma and traumatic injury, and disaster medicine.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Provide neuromusculoskeletal therapy

  Provide neuromusculoskeletal therapy and care, which involves adjusting a patient`s spinal column and other joints, principally by hand.

• Manage infection control in the facility

  Implement a set of measures to prevent and control infections, formulating and establishing health and safety procedures and policies.

• Provide medication information

  Provide patients with information about their medication, possible side effects, and contra-indications.

• Inform policy makers on health-related challenges

  Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.

• Maintain chiropractic equipment

  Maintain the chiropractic professional equipment, supplied and professional spaces in the unit/office, making sure that it is kept in good working condition to support chiropractic services and maintained regularly as required by national legislative regulations.

• Monitor patients' progress related to treatment

  Observe and report on healthcare users' response to medical treatment, monitoring their progress or decay on a daily basis and modifying the treatment procedures whenever necessary.

• Promote health and safety policies in health services

  Promote adherence to local, regional, national and EU Health and Safety legislation, policies, guidelines and protocols.

• Apply person-centred care

  Treat individuals as partners in planning, developing and assessing care, to make sure it is appropriate for their needs. Put them and their caregivers at the heart of all decisions.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Address public health issues

  Promote healthy practices and behaviours to ensure that populations stay healthy.

• Undertake healthcare examination

  Assess the healthcare user's physical state, taking detailed information on previous injuries, surgery, general health, resources and lifestyle into account.

• Interpret medical results

  Interpret, integrate and apply results of diagnostic imaging, laboratory tests and other investigations as part of the assessment of the client, in consultation with other healthcare practitioners.

• Follow-up after patients' surgery

  Follow-up after patients` surgery evaluating the needs for a faster recovery.

• Manage chiropractic professional equipment

  Make sure that the chiropractic professional equipment in the unit/office is kept in good working condition and is maintained regularly as required by national legislative regulation.

• Diagnose musculoskeletal conditions

  Identify the patient`s orthopaedic injuries such as fractures, dislocations, torn ligaments, sprains, and strains, tendon injuries, pulled muscles, ruptured disks, sciatica, low back pain, and scoliosis, arthritis and osteoporosis, bone tumours, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, club foot and unequal leg length, abnormalities of the fingers and toes and growth abnormalities.

• Manage staff

  Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

• Use different communication channels

  Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.

• Prescribe healthcare products

  Prescribe healthcare products, when indicated, for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to the client`s needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice, national and practice protocols and within scope of practice.

• Apply context specific clinical competences

  Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

• Interpret medical images

  Analyse medical images in order to diagnose illnesses and injuries.

• Manage healthcare users' data

  Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.

• Provide learning support in healthcare

  Provide the necessary support to facilitate learning for clients, carers, students, peers, support workers and other healthcare practitioners by assessing the learner`s development needs and preferences, designing agreed formal and informal outcomes of learning and delivering materials that facilitate learning and development.

• Perform orthopaedic examinations

  Perform, interpret and report the findings of orthopaedic physical examination, examining the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, spine, pelvis and hip, knee, foot, and ankle.

• Supervise chiropractic students

  Supervise chiropractic students in the workplace and share own expertise with them; train them so that they can perform well in the workplace.

• Perform chiropractic examinations

  Perform, interpret and report the findings of chiropractic physical examinations, possibly involving an examination of the patient's spine and posture, and where relevant finding the source of discomfort or pain.

• Use e-health and mobile health technologies

  Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.

• Prescribe treatment for musculoskeletal injuries

  Prescribe non-invasive procedures for injuries, immobilising fractured bones with the use of braces, splints, and casts and recommending therapeutic exercises, medication and nutritional supplements.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

  Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.

• Provide treatment strategies for challenges to human health

  Identify possible treatment protocols for the challenges to human health within a given community in cases such as infectious diseases of high consequences at the global level.

• Interpret findings from medical examinations

  Interpret the findings from a patient`s history, clinical examination, radiographic examination, and other diagnostic tests and procedures.

• Provide chiropractic diagnosis

  Provide a proper working diagnosis/differential diagnosis and a proper inter-disciplinary or chiropractic treatment/management plan by performing a proper interview, working with patients to identify physical problems and difficulties resulting from illness, injury, disability or aging and by performing a proper/specific physical, neurological and orthopedic examination.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Communicate effectively in healthcare

  Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.

• Provide leadership

  Lead and influence others to promote and contribute to policy development, advocacy, extending the boundaries and strategy at various levels.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB