Skills
Chiropractor Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in chiropractors, and how to build and show them.
What skills do chiropractors need?
Chiropractors need technical skills such as spinal adjustment, musculoskeletal exam, and radiograph interpretation, plus people skills like communication and empathy. They also use tools such as Adjusting tables and X-ray equipment.
Technical (hard) skills
- Spinal adjustment
- Musculoskeletal exam
- Radiograph interpretation
- Soft-tissue therapy
- Exercise prescription
- Practice management
People (soft) skills
- Communication
- Empathy
- Business sense
- Patience
Tools, equipment and technology
- Adjusting tables
- X-ray equipment
- Activator instruments
- Rehab equipment
- Electrical stimulation
- Practice software
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how chiropractors put their skills to work:
- How to screen for red flags
- How to teach a core stabilization exercise
- How to set up an ergonomic workstation
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Spinal adjustment” and “Musculoskeletal exam.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “communication,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as NBCE exams near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our chiropractor glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Chiropractor training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.