According to Dr. Brian Kelly, president of Life Chiropractic College West, the college "opposes in the strongest possible terms the inclusion of medicine and/or surgery in the chiropractic profession," referring to recent efforts in New Mexico to allow for an "advanced-practice chiropractic physician" designation.
He adds, "The practices proposed in the legislature in New Mexico are dangerous to the public as well as to the identity of the chiropractic profession. There is no mechanism to adequately train chiropractors in this area and give them the clinical experience to responsibly utilize the broad range of drugs available to a primary care physician. Furthermore, there are no national credentialing standards that apply to this area of clinical activity by chiropractors. In and of itself, these deficiencies pose a threat to the public of New Mexico."
Chiropractic training, while broad in its primary-contact training, does not have a focus on these practices, as they are reserved for the art and practice of other professional disciplines. "This is a misguided attempt to enter the practice of medicine," Dr. Kelly concluded.
Source: Life Chiropractic College West
Recent laws in New Jersey and California represent a disturbing trend that will negatively impact a practice’s ability to collect monies from patients, as well as expose them to significant penalties if the practice does not follow the mandatory guidelines to a T. Please be aware that a similar law may be coming to your state. The time to act is before the law is passed.
With estimates showing over 30 million Americans affected by peripheral neuropathy – and a significant portion underdiagnosed – it’s increasingly likely that chiropractors are already treating these patients. What’s missing is structured recognition, comprehensive management and targeted tools to slow progression, improve function and support systemic health.
Each year, ICD-10-CM is updated on Oct. 1. For 2026, there are 74,179 total codes, with 487 additions, 28 deletions and 38 revisions. Code changes are based on date of service, not the claim submission date. Services performed on/after Oct. 1 must use the new codes. While no changes affect the common spinal or extraspinal codes most frequently used by DCs, several updates may still affect your claims – particularly for comorbidities, referred pain, or trauma cases.
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