ACA POLICIES IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH CCE’S ATTEMPT

TO AUTHORIZE THE DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTIC MEDICINE DEGREE (DCM)

Chiropractic, as defined in the ACA Master Plan relating to education, experience, and training is sufficient to define the precepts, tenets and responsibilities of the practitioner and the profession.Any effort to develop a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine (DCM) degree is not necessary and may in fact be in conflict with some existing state scope of practice laws. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, July 1994).

The applicable definition of “medicine” from the Oxford Dictionary is “that department of knowledge and practice which is concerned with the cure, alleviation and prevention of disease in human beings, and with the restoration and preservation of health.” The applicable definition of “medicine” from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease.”

The healing art of chiropractic meets those parameters since the applicable definitions of “medicine” do not mention or include the utilization of drugs. The American Chiropractic Association Master Plan in part states chiropractic utilizes only “drugless and non-surgical methods,” and “Chiropractic is a drug-free, non-surgical science and, as such, does not include pharmaceuticals or incisive surgery.”

Therefore, be it Resolved, that if the word “medicine” is used in conjunction with the word “chiropractic,” the word “medicine” should only be considered in the context of a healing art that preserves, maintains and restores health; and be it further

Resolved, that if the word “medicine” is used in conjunction with the word “chiropractic,” the word “medicine” should not be interpreted to mean that drugs are part of the practice of chiropractic; and be it further

Resolved, in order to avoid confusion to the public, the American Chiropractic Association will encourage use of the terms “chiropractic,” “chiropractor,” “chiropractic physician,” and “doctor of chiropractic” in publications, presentations and communications. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, September 2000).

ACA POLICIES IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH CCE’S ATTEMPT

TO REMOVE THE WITHOUT DRUGS AND SURGERY PROVISION

Chiropractic is a drug-free, non-surgical science and, as such, does not include pharmaceuticals* or incisive surgery. Due regard shall be given to the fact that state laws, as well as the nation’s antitrust laws, [may] allow Doctors of Chiropractic (Chiropractic Physicians) to utilize ancillary health care procedures commonly referred to as being in the common domain.”

*Without prejudice to our commitment to this vital core concept and, in conformity with the nation’s antitrust laws, Doctors of Chiropractic (Chiropractic Physicians) may elect in their practice to use common domain procedures, otherwise allowed by applicable law, and assuming they are properly qualified by background, education and training to do so.

Resolved, that doctors of chiropractic treat human ailments without the use of prescription drugs or incisive surgery, as taught at chiropractic colleges having status with an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or an agency having a reciprocal agreement with the recognized agency and ACA will strive to reiterate this when called upon in relation toFederal legislative efforts. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, September 2001.)

Resolved, that the House of Delegates endorse the position on chiropractic as developed by the ACC as follows: Chiropractic is a health care discipline, which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, June 1997, reaffirmed September 2000)

ACA POLICIES AND DEFINITIONS IN DIRECT CONFLICT

WITH CCE’S ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE TERM SUBLUXATION

Resolved, that the House of Delegates reaffirms the core principle of the subluxation. The ACA will strive to reiterate this principle and further state that the core treatment of chiropractic is manual manipulation/adjustment of the articulations, both spinal and extra-spinal, to reduce subluxations, when called upon in relation to Federal legislative efforts, in addition to full scope of practice as allowed by state law. References to subluxation and chiropractic adjustments/manipulation should be made in ACA releases, whenever possible. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, September 2000).

The process of arriving at a diagnosis by a doctor of chiropractic includes: obtaining pertinent patient history; conducting physical, neurological, orthopedic, and other appropriate examination procedures; ordering and interpreting specialized diagnostic imaging and /or laboratory tests as indicated by symptoms and/or clinical findings; and performing postural and functional biomechanical analysis to determine the presence of articular dysfunction and/or subluxation.” (Ratified by the House of Delegates, September 2003)

The Doctor of Chiropractic gives particular attention to spinal biomechanics (including the subluxation complex), musculoskeletal, neurological, vascular, nutritional, and environmental relationships in the restoration and maintenance of health. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, July 1994).

To evaluate and monitor soft tissue injuries, including segmental dysfunction/ subluxation, sprain and myofascial conditions (strains and myofascial pain syndromes) not responding to clinical treatment. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, June 1991; amended August 1999).

Resolved, that efforts be made by the ACA, when and as appropriate, to amend the involved clause in the Medicare law to strike “to correct a subluxation” and insert “for treatment of subluxations and symptoms referable to same”. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, June 1983).

The authorization of the payment to beneficiaries for x-rays performed or required by doctors of chiropractic and for physical examination (and related routine laboratory tests) for the purpose of determining subluxations and/or referral to other health care providers;

The authorization of doctors of chiropractic to demonstrate the existence of spinal subluxations by “other chiropractic procedures”, as well as by x-ray, therapy avoiding unnecessary radiation to patients; (Submitted September 1975 and in similar language in June 1974).

The ACA is opposed to the contractual exclusions of diagnosis and manipulation of subluxation as presently written into various insurance contracts. (Approved, February 1975).

Nomenclature Defined

The following chiropractic nomenclature was developed by ACA's Task Force on Primary Care, and approved by the House of Delegates, to eliminate confusion within the profession about the true definitions of commonly used terms and phrases.

Manipulable Subluxation:
A subluxation in which altered alignment, movement, and/or function can be improved by manual thrust procedures.

Subluxation:
A motion segment, in which alignment, movement integrity, and/or physiological function are altered although contact between joint surfaces remains intact.

Subluxation Complex:
A theoretical model of motion segment dysfunction (subluxation), which incorporates the complex interaction of pathological changes in nerve, muscle, ligamentous, vascular and connective tissues.

Subluxation Syndrome:
An aggregate of signs and symptoms that relate to pathophysiology or dysfunction of spinal and pelvic motion segments or to peripheral joints. (Ratified by the House of Delegates, July 1994).