Work Healthy - Asthma, eczema and your career

Chiropractor

Risk level:

Arch manipulator

Anyone with a painful back or neck, sciatica or frequent headaches may find that a chiropractor can help. Using specific adjustments chiropractors move and manipulate the body’s joints very precisely so that they are properly aligned again. It’s a job that involves lots of bodily contact.

What are the risks?

Working with your hands is tough on the skin. Frequent handwashing and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers are also necessary, as your hands must always be clean. If you have sensitive skin, you can easily develop hand eczema, where the skin becomes dry, red and flaky with cracks and blisters that itch.

Prevention and avoidance

Protect your hands with an unperfumed moisturising cream before and after work, as well as during breaks.

If you suffer from eczema or did so when you were little (atopic eczema), think about the risks before training to be a chiropractor, as the work can cause it to come back or get worse.

Want to know more?

If you have any questions or want to know more about allergy and eczema when working as a chiropractor, get in touch with your school nurse or careers adviser.

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