The New York Chiropractic Council (NYCC) was founded in 1989 to stand for a more principled perspective on Chiropractic in New York. Indeed, according to the Council’s website its Purpose is: “To keep chiropractic separate and distinct from all other professions”. All that just changed as the Council has partnered with the New York State Chiropractic Association (NYSCA) to undo perhaps the cleanest chiropractic law in the country, if not the planet.
The Council and NYSCA are framing the scope expansion effort as “Scope Modernization” since they feel the current chiropractic law is “outdated.”
The current definition of chiropractic in New York reads:
The practice of the profession of chiropractic is defined as detecting and correcting by manual or mechanical means structural imbalance, distortion, or subluxations in the human body for the purpose of removing nerve interference and the effects thereof, where such interference is the result of or related to distortion, misalignment or subluxation of or in the vertebral column.
Further to this – right now chiropractors licensed in New York may:
- Detect nerve interference by using their hands, instruments, x-rays or other imaging procedures (e.g., MRIs), and by ordering and interpreting laboratory tests;
- Adjust and/or manipulate bones in the body;
- Use electrical stimulation, acupressure, massage, ultrasound, deep heat, hot and cold packs, traction, and support devices; and
- Provide guidance and recommendations on lifestyle habits, posture, exercise, diet, and stress.
Further reading reveals that:
Nutritional counseling, including the dispensing of food concentrates, food extracts, vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements approved by the board as being appropriate to, and as a part of, his or her practice of chiropractic - are allowed.
Chiropractors are also considered primary health care professionals in New York.
Apparently this is not a broad enough scope for the Council.
The proposed new law that both the Council and NYSCA will be pushing through the legislature includes a new definition of chiropractic that reads:
Section 1. Section 6551 of the education law is amended as follows:
§ 6551. Definition of practice of chiropractic. 1. The practice of the profession of chiropractic is defined as the examination, evaluation, detection, diagnosis of the human body and/or treatment or correction of: subluxations in the vertebral column or other articular segments by manual or mechanical means, neuromusculoskeletal conditions, structural imbalance, distortion, and/or dysfunction of the human body and the effects thereof; including restoring nervous system integrity, structural balance and/or function; as it may relate to any human disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition.
The key phrase in the proposed new definition is:
Diagnosis of the human body
In addition to the new definition the Council is proposing the addition of language to expand the scope to allow for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA), DOT physicals and related laboratory work, over the counter medications and defines chiropractors as “physicians”.
According to its website: the COUNCIL came to stand for a more principled perspective on Chiropractic; as an organization. This was a result of the original membership, being composed of DELP members who were not represented by any other NYS group. The DELP members were those Chiropractors who were attending Dynamic Essentials, regularly. Since DE was the program owned by Dr. Sid Williams; this was another reason that the COUNCIL was considered to be a straight organization. The COUNCIL is not an affiliate but is politically aligned since its beginning with the ICA.
The New York State Chiropractic Association (NYSCA) and the New York Chiropractic Council (NYCC) are currently engaged in so called "merger" negotiations - though various reports have stated that they would not merge but instead both organizations would actually just shut down and everyone would join a new, single, "unified" organization.
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