New Zealand College of Chiropractic

To introduce and develop chiropractic principles and skills relating to assessment of the spine, and the psychomotor skills of adjusting. Students will develop greater confidence in patient positioning and spinal assessment whilst integrating spinal x-rays to improve patient outcomes.

As primary health care practitioners, chiropractors are expected to have an understanding of the psychology of human behaviour, and to incorporate factors of mental health to overall care. In addition, it is important to recognise psychological conditions and then refer as appropriate. This course serves to develop a basic understanding of psychology.

To develop knowledge of professional behaviour, interactions, and demeanour; diagnosis; clinical history taking; regional examinations; orthopaedic testing (spine, upper and lower limbs); physical examinations (spine, upper and lower limbs); chiropractic analysis including instrumentation and adjustment of vertebral subluxations. Opportunities will also be offered for students to utilise outcomes assessment procedures which can be applied to a clinical chiropractic setting.

This course will develop skills and strategies for the integration of the philosophy and practice of chiropractic, and for the effective delivery of public presentations for patient education. To understand the professional and health environment in which chiropractic sits.

This course builds on the general pathology knowledge gained from Pathophysiology 1 and focuses on pathological disease processes for each body system. A more in depth approach is applied enabling the student to understand, define, identify and apply advanced pathophysiological knowledge of systemic diseases.