In short
Chiropractors are regulated healthcare professionals: registered with the General Chiropractic Council, degree-qualified and checkable on a public register. At Restore & Move every patient is examined before any treatment, at a first visit that is examination only, and part of the job is saying plainly when something needs a GP, a scan or a hospital instead.
Safety comes up in almost every first conversation, and it should. The honest answer is that chiropractic care in the UK is a regulated healthcare profession with a public register, degree-level training and a legal duty to examine you before treating you. This guide explains what that means in practice and what you can check for yourself.
Regulation and the register
Chiropractors must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council. Registration involves a degree-level qualification and continuing professional development, and anyone can check a chiropractor on the public register. Dr Elliot Ward graduated from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic with a master's degree in Chiropractic and is a GCC-registered chiropractor; the register entry is linked from the About page. If a practitioner is not on their register, go elsewhere.
Examination before treatment
At Restore & Move the New Patient Consultation is two visits. The first is the examination: a review of your health history, including medication and any previous diagnoses, then a neurological and orthopaedic examination, digital posture analysis, gait analysis, and vitality tests including heart rate variability, balance and weight distribution and ribcage expansion. The second visit is the report of findings, where the results are explained and a care plan is agreed before any treatment begins.
That order matters. The point of the examination is to understand what is causing the problem and to decide whether chiropractic care is suitable for you before anyone treats you.
When we send you elsewhere
Part of a chiropractor's job is knowing what is not a chiropractic problem. If we think you would be better served by a physiotherapist, your GP or a hospital, we will say so and point you in the right direction. If anything in your history or examination needs a scan or a different kind of care, we will tell you plainly.
Some symptoms should not wait for an appointment with us at all: loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the saddle area, severe or worsening weakness in the legs, chest pain, or a fever with back pain. Call 999 if it is severe, or 111 or your GP straight away.
Who we see
We look after people of all ages, including older adults with arthritis, new parents, desk workers and sportspeople. Care is built around what the examination finds and what you can manage, and the tests are repeated as you continue through your care so progress is something we can show you rather than something you take on trust.
What you can do
Check the register, ask questions, and expect answers. Any practitioner should be comfortable telling you what they found, what they plan to do and why, and when something is outside what they can help with. If you have any uncertainty before booking, call the clinic and ask.
Book a New Patient Consultation
Two visits: a thorough examination, then your findings and a plan before any treatment begins. Evening appointments on Mondays and Thursdays, free parking outside.
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More guides
- Chiropractor, physio or osteopath: which should you see?
- What to expect at your first chiropractic appointment
- Back pain after football: why it happens and what to do about it
- Is chiropractic treatment painful?
- What conditions does chiropractic help with?
- Will I need X-rays?
- How many sessions will I need?
- How much does it cost?
- All guides →