Health

What the Passage of the Scope of Practice for Chiropractic Care Law Means for Patients in New Jersey

By Steven Clarke, D.C.

The recent passage of legislation changing the scope of practice for chiropractic care in New Jersey for the first time since 1953 was historic for the chiropractic profession, but even more importantly, a victory for the one million patients that benefit from chiropractic care each year in New Jersey.
The new legislation, passed in January 2010, allows chiropractors to refer patients for an array of diagnostic tests, provide nutritional counseling, including selling vitamins and supplements, and to diagnose and treat all joints and soft tissues of the body. The new scope of practice also requires licensed chiropractors to complete 30 credits of annual continuing education training. We also now are required to carry malpractice insurance, which most doctors had, but it was never mandated. For example, in the past, if I were treating a patient for a knee problem, I could not even recommend a basic supplement like glucosamine for the problem. You could go online or to the local store and buy it from someone without any training, yet the chiropractors who have the training, could not even recommend it to the patient.

Other components of the new legislation include:
• Splinting and bracing, for the first time, are now part of our scope of practice so that collars, braces and sports taping are forever adjuncts to chiropractic care.

• Puts into law that chiropractors can administer physical modalities and therapeutic, rehabilitative and strengthening exercises.

• Chiropractors can sign or certify temporary or permanent impairments and other certifications consistent with a chiropractic practice, such as pre-employment screenings.

• The law makes it unlawful for any person, other than a NJ licensed chiropractor, to render a utilization management decision that limits, restricts or curtails a course of chiropractic care.

• Consistent with chiropractic practice, chiropractors can provide a full complement of diagnostic and analytical tests similar to other physicians.

Chiropractic care has a proven track record of success for those seeking a holistic approach to wellness care, and now, with this new scope of practice, New Jersey patients have even greater access to care.

Dr. Steven Clark practices chiropractics in Nutley. He is President of the Association of NJ Chiropractors (njchiropractors.com).