Scope of Practice – New Jersey
New Jersey State Board of Chiropractic Examiners
124 Halsey Street • PO Box 45004
Newark, New Jersey 07101
(973) 504-6395 • Facsimile (973) 273-8075
PUBLIC SESSION MINUTES
November 20, 2003
IV. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
C. Charles L. Blum, DC
The Board reviewed correspondence from Dr. blum requesting clarification of the Board’s September 25, 2003 minutes regarding cranial therapy.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY DR. O’CONNOR WHICH WAS SECONDED BY DR. CALIO TO INFORM DR. BLUM THAT CRANIAL THERAPY CAN ONLY BE USED IF IT CAN BE RELATED TO A SPINAL COMPONENT. DR. BLUM SHOULD REFER TO THE N.J.A.C. 13:44E-1.1, SCOPE OF PRACTICE. A VOTE WAS TAKEN AND THE MOTION PASSED WITH ALL MEMBERS PRESENT VOTING IN FAVOR.
New Jersey State Board of Chiropractic Examiners Statutes and Regulations
Sub-chapter 1. Purpose and Scope; Definitions
13:44E-1.1 Scope of practice
(a) The practice of chiropractic is that patient health care discipline whose methodology is the adjustment and/or manipulation of the articulations of the spine and related structures. During the initial consultation and before commencing chiropractic care, a licensee shall identify and document a clinical condition warranting chiropractic care. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit a licensee from caring for chiropractic subluxation as determined by chiropractic analytical procedures. Chiropractic analysis which identifies the existence of a subluxation may be the basis for chiropractic care even in the absence of a subjective complaint or other objective findings.
November 6, 2003
NEW JERSEY STATE BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS
124 Halsey Street, P.O. Box 45004
Newark, New Jersey 07101
FAX: (973) 273-8075
RE: Public Session Minutes of Chiropractic Board of Examiners September 25, 2003
Dear Board of Examiners:
I have just received a faxed copy of the minutes from the board meeting on September 25, 2003, which addressed most of my questions. I am deeply grateful for the time and effort shown in responding to my requests.
While I have not received a formal reply from the board as directed in the minutes to date, I wanted to make sure there is clarity on the issue of cranial therapy that was not completely addressed which relates to the following:
1. “13:44E-1.1 Scope of practice: (a) The practice of chiropractic is that patient health care discipline whose methodology is the adjustment and/or manipulation of the articulations of the spine and related structures.” Could “related structures” be construed to be structures directly affected by the spine such as the cranial bones and sutures? This is assuming that, “A chiropractor cannot treat a stand alone diagnosis of cranial bone dysfunction and that a chiropractor’s function is to analyze and/or diagnose a spinal disorder that may be contributing to a cranial problem or conversely a cranial problem may be causing a spinal subluxation.”
Sincerely,
Charles L. Blum, DC
New Jersey State Board of Chiropractic Examiners
124 Halsey Street • PO Box 45004
Newark, New Jersey 07101
(973) 504-6395 • Facsimile (973) 273-8075
PUBLIC SESSION MINUTES
September 25, 2003
V. NEW BUSINESS