Glossary
Chiropractor Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential chiropractor terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key chiropractor vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in chiropractor training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Activator
- A handheld adjusting tool.
- Adjustment
- A controlled thrust to a joint.
- DC
- Doctor of Chiropractic.
- Disc herniation
- A bulging spinal disc.
- Ergonomics
- Fitting work to the body.
- Kyphosis
- Outward spinal curve.
- Lordosis
- Inward spinal curve.
- Range of motion
- How far a joint moves.
- Red flags
- Signs needing urgent referral.
- Rehab exercise
- Exercises to restore function.
- Sciatica
- Nerve pain down the leg.
- Scoliosis
- Sideways spinal curve.
- Soft-tissue therapy
- Muscle and fascia treatment.
- Subluxation
- A chiropractic term for joint dysfunction.
- Treatment plan
- Planned visits and goals.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Chiropractor practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Chiropractor training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.