Q: When are chiropractors not chiropractors?
A: When they are orthopractors.
Back in June of this year, the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) took the position that the terminology 'orthopractor' or 'orthopractic' "may be misleading and/or deceptive to the patient public"; that orthopractic was not a licensed or regulated profession (please see front page article in the August 12, 1994 issue).
The FCLB also urged chiropractic boards to enforce statutes that define acceptable terminology in advertising; that such laws were written to "protect the public interest by defining the type of care that a patient may reasonably expect to receive, and the credentials of the doctor who will provide that care."
Since that time, the licensing boards of Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania have responded to the FCLB's position statement on orthopractic:
The Maine Board of Chiropractic Examination and Registration agreed with the FCLB position on
orthopractic, and notes its authority to discipline state licensees for false, misleading or deceptive advertising. The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Chiropractors endorsed the FCLB's position, and "may discipline its licensees for the deliberate application of the term orthopractic or any variation."
The New Jersey Board of Chiropractic Examiners unanimously voted to support the FCLB's position and also oppose the new philosophy espoused by orthopractic. The board's position will be clarified in a subsequent newsletter.
The North Dakota Board of Examiners agreed with the position of the FCLB on orthopractic, and emphasized that advertising which make "claims of professional superiority which cannot be substantiated by the licensee is unprofessional conduct."
The Pennsylvania State Board of Chiropractic determined that a chiropractor's use of orthopractic or its derivatives is "misleading since 'orthopractic' refers to spinal manipulation, which is already encompassed in the term 'chiropractor' or 'chiropractic'."
FCLB President Carroll Winkler, DC, said he was pleased that the five state boards have taken the step to warn their licensees about the potential risk of disciplinary action if they hold themselves out to be 'orthopractors,' and urged other licensing boards to review and enforce their laws and regulations applicable to the use of the term 'orthopractic' and 'orthopractor.'
He added: "We expect that the rest of the licensing authorities in the U.S. and Canada will be meeting in the next few months to determine whether similar action is warranted by their boards."
