Link
Upper Cervical Monograph
Check all the NUCCA research updates & NUCCA standards.
NUCCA & Hypertension Study
Atlas vertebra realignment lowered blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Bakris G, Dickholtz M, et al. Journal of Human Hypertension, 2007.
NUCCA & Migraine Study
Atlas vertebrae realignment in subjects with migraine. Woodfield HC, Hasick DG, et al. BioMed Research International, 2015. Free full text.
Supporting NUCCA Research
Donations support the Upper Cervical Research Foundation. See ucrf.org.
Note: the AmazonSmile programme referenced on the previous site was discontinued by Amazon in 2023 and has been removed.
What a Doctor of Chiropractic Is
In North America
The title is defined in law. A degree alone does not make anyone a doctor of chiropractic: practising on that basis is illegal. The right to practise and to diagnose is granted only after three steps are cleared.
- Earn a D.C. degree from a CCE accredited program
- Pass the national board examinations
- Pass the examination of the state or province, and hold its licence
The licence is then renewed on a cycle, with continuing education required by each state or province.
The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) is the accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the D.C. degree. Completing a CCE accredited program is the prerequisite for NUCCA training and Board Certification. 19 programs across 21 locations currently hold Accredited Status.
See all 19 programs
- Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, Kentucky - Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Cleveland University – Kansas City
Overland Park, Kansas - D’Youville University
Buffalo, New York - Keiser University
West Palm Beach, Florida - Life Chiropractic College West
Hayward, California (main campus) · Bellevue, Nebraska (additional site) - Life University
Marietta, Georgia - Logan University
Chesterfield, Missouri - National University of Health Sciences
Lombard, Illinois (main campus) · Pinellas Park, Florida (additional site) - Northeast College of Health Sciences
Seneca Falls, New York (main campus) · Levittown, New York (additional site) - Northwestern Health Sciences University
Bloomington, Minnesota - Palmer College of Chiropractic
Davenport, Iowa (main campus) · Port Orange, Florida (branch campus) - Parker University
Dallas, Texas - Sherman College of Chiropractic
Spartanburg, South Carolina - Southern California University of Health Sciences
Whittier, California — Los Angeles College of Chiropractic - Texas Chiropractic College
Pasadena, Texas - Universidad Central del Caribe
Bayamón, Puerto Rico - University of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut - University of Western States
Portland, Oregon
In Japan
No institution in Japan, past or present, has been able to award a CCE accredited Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Japan has never had a chiropractic school recognised by its Ministry of Education (MEXT). Chiropractic here is not covered by any law: there is no national licence, and no legal standard governs the education. Choosing carefully therefore matters.
How to verify a D.C. Ask whether the practitioner holds a current chiropractic licence in a U.S. state or a Canadian province. That confirms, at minimum, that the standard set by that jurisdiction has been met.
Source: Council on Chiropractic Education (cce-usa.org), retrieved 14 August 2026.
Roadmap to U.S. Chiropractic and NUCCA Certification
From high school graduation to a state licence and NUCCA Board Certification: seven steps, roughly 9–12 years and more than 11,000 hours.
Pre-Chiropractic College Studies
- Duration
- 2.5–4 years
- Time
- Approx. 4,000 hours (90–120 credits)
- Status
- F-1 student visa / undergraduate
Doctor of Chiropractic Program
- Duration
- 3.3–4 years
- Time
- Approx. 4,200–4,800 hours
- Status
- F-1 student visa / D.C. degree awarded
NBCE National Board Exams (Parts I–IV & PT)
- Duration
- During school to shortly after graduation
- Time
- Approx. 1,000–1,500 hours of preparation
- Status
- Passing scores on all required parts
State Licensure
- Duration
- 2–4 months after graduation
- Time
- Approx. 50–100 hours of state law preparation
- Status
- State-licensed Doctor of Chiropractic
Work Authorisation & U.S. Clinical Practice
- Duration
- 1 year of OPT to several years
- Time
- Full-time practice (40 hours a week plus training)
- Status
- F-1 OPT → H-1B / E-2 / permanent residency
NUCCA Board Certification
- Duration
- 2–5 years of clinical practice
- Time
- Approx. 1,500–2,000 hours (imaging, analysis, case review)
- Status
- NUCCA Board Certified upper cervical chiropractor
Continuing Education & Credential Maintenance
- Duration
- Ongoing after licensure (annual or biennial renewal)
- Time
- 12–24 state CE hours a year; NUCCA renewal every 2 years
- Status
- Active licence and certification maintained