What is chiropractic care? Strategy, tactics and your plan
In chess, people talk about strategy and tactics. Strategy is the underlying plan: where you want to take the game. Tactics are the specific moves you make at each moment to get closer to that plan. Chiropractic care works in a similar way, and understanding this makes it much easier to know what to expect when you come for the first time.
What chiropractic is
The World Health Organization recognises chiropractic as a profession focused on the neuromusculoskeletal system: the spine, the joints and their relationship with the nervous system. The chiropractor assesses how your spine moves and functions and, when appropriate, applies precise, gentle adjustments to work on its mobility and function.
In Spain, chiropractic is not yet regulated as a health profession. That is why we recommend always checking that your chiropractor is a member of the Spanish Chiropractic Association (AEQ), which requires five or six years of internationally recognised university training.
The strategy: understanding your spine
Everything starts with an assessment. At your first visit we talk about your daily life, your history and what brings you in, review any reports or tests you have, and assess your spine and posture. If we think you need another test or your doctor's opinion, we tell you.
With this information we explain what we find, in plain words, and suggest a plan. That is the strategy: a clear, realistic goal designed for you, not for an "average" person.
The tactics: every session is different
The strategy stays the same, but the tactics change. We do not always adjust the spine in the same way: the adjustments we make in each session depend on what we find that day, how you have responded to previous sessions and how you feel.
That is why every visit begins with a short review. It is how we fine-tune the plan as we go.
The phases of a care plan
Everyone is different and there is no fixed number of sessions. Even so, most plans follow three phases:
- Initial. Visits are more frequent for a few weeks, to work on the mobility of your spine and see how you respond.
- Consolidation. Sessions are gradually spaced out as your spine gains mobility and stability.
- Maintenance. If you wish, regular check-ups so that looking after your spine becomes part of your routine.
At each phase we review how you are doing together, and the plan adapts to you, not the other way round.
The decision is always yours. Our job is to explain what we find and suggest a plan; you decide whether you want to start, how long you want to continue and whether you are interested in maintenance. As we often say at Equilibrium: your health depends on you.
What chiropractic does not do
Chiropractic does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. If during the assessment we find something that your doctor should look into, we will tell you and, if necessary, we will not start until we have their assessment.
Find out more
If you would like to learn about research on chiropractic, the AEQ has gathered the most recent studies in its Scientific Dossier.
Sources
- World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on basic training and safety in chiropractic. Geneva: WHO; 2005.
- Asociación Española de Quiropráctica. Dossier científico de la quiropráctica. April 2026.
Educational content. It is not a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation and does not replace an assessment by a healthcare professional. If any symptom persists, please see your doctor.