The word "Chiropractic" comes from the Greek "chiro", meaning "hand", and "praxis", meaning "to do", which literally translates as "to do by hand".

The basic principle of Chiropractic is that by manually stimulating specific regions of the spine, a well-trained practitioner could positively benefit the overall health of the body. This is due to the fact that the nervous system, which controls every aspect of human functioning, is powerfully affected by spinal stimulation.

Although treatment is focused on the spine, chiropractors are not merely "back doctors", just as acupuncturists are not merely "skin doctors". For chiropractors, the spine is the avenue of approach by which to affect the functioning of the entire body.