chiropractic

American  

[kahy-ruh-prak-tik] / ˌkaɪ rəˈpræk tɪk /

noun

1. a therapeutic system based primarily upon the interactions of the spine and nervous system, the method of treatment usually being to adjust the segments of the spinal column.

2. a chiropractor.

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chiropractic British  

/ ˌkaɪrəˈpræktɪk /

noun

1. a system of treating bodily disorders by manipulation of the spine and other parts, based on the belief that the cause is the abnormal functioning of a nerve

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chiropractic Cultural  

1. A system of treating disease and musculoskeletal disorders that involves manipulation of the backbone and other body parts. In chiropractic, disorders of the nerves are considered the cause of illness.

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Other Word Forms

• chiropractor
  noun

Etymology

Origin of chiropractic

1895–1900, chiro- + -practic < Greek praktikós; see practical

Example Sentences

Later, when he was deciding whether to go to graduate school, a tour guide at Life Chiropractic College West in California encouraged him to take out loans to finance his degree.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025

Chiropractic Jerome Poupel, a Frenchman based in London, provides another voice in Raducanu's new-look team - as well as a quirky back story.

From BBC • Aug. 24, 2025

Richard Brown, the secretary general of the World Federation of Chiropractic, a not-for-profit organization that serves as the international voice of the chiropractic profession, said the group had concerns about the social media videos.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

“We still haven’t been able to demonstrate in the research the effectiveness that we’ve seen clinically,” said Jennifer Brocker, the president of the ACA’s Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics and a practicing chiropractor in Portland, Ore.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2022

A later development of manipulative science is Chiropractic, originated by Dr. Palmer of Davenport, Iowa.

From Nature Cure by Lindlahr, Henry