Editor's Note: The following is excerpted from an article submitted exclusive to Dynamic Chiropractic by Jane Kidwell Martinez, PR specialist for the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors. The complete article appears in our next (September) issue.
The New Jersey State Board of Chiropractic Examiners will begin issuing licenses as early as Nov. 1 to chiropractic assistants who have undergone a 500-hour training course and passed a competency exam. New Jersey is the first state to license CAs, creating a new career path that will allow chiropractic physicians to expand their practices.
The licensed chiropractic assistant (LCA) will be allowed to perform certain tasks that only licensed chiropractic physicians could previously perform, such as performing manual muscle tests and general orthopedic and neurologic tests; applying thermal, sound, light, mechanical and electrical modalities and hydrotherapy; instructing and monitoring prescribed rehabilitative activities; taking vital signs and collecting health histories, among other tasks.
"Pioneering the nation's first licensure in this area is thrilling," said Amy Boright Porchetta, executive director of the ANJC, which initiated and lobbied for the new state licensure. "We are proud to partner with [New York Chiropractic College] to provide top-notch training to our upcoming licensed chiropractic assistants"
Designed to be a 12-18-month course, the curriculum includes 120 hours of online and classroom instruction, taught by the NYCC Post Graduate and Continuing Education Department. The remaining 380 hours will be clinical training taught by approved DCs.
To be eligible for licensure as a CA in New Jersey, applicants must be at least 18 years old, have successfully completed high school or its equivalent, have completed the LCA program through an accredited chiropractic institution and successfully passed a state board-approved competency exam. NYCC will administer the exam at a testing center. Official transcripts and proof of passing the exam must be provided along with the application to the N.J. State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
