Good News, Bad News for DCs in Connecticut - Chiropractic Press Releases

Board rules that stroke specific informed consent is unnecessary; Victims of Chiropractic Abuse files suit.
By Peter W. Crownfield, Executive Editor
The Connecticut Board of Chiropractic Examiners has issued its much-anticipated declaratory ruling regarding informed consent. According to the board, the state's chiropractors do not need to alter their current informed consent protocols by notifying patients that a cervical artery dissection or stroke may occur following a cervical adjustment. The board's ruling noted: "[T]here is simply not enough evidence to find that joint mobilization, manipulation or adjustment of the cervical spine causes strokes or cervical arterial dissections in patients or that patients are at risk for stroke when a chiropractor performs a joint mobilization, manipulation or adjustment of the cervical spine. ... [A] reasonable patient would not find a discussion regarding the risks of stroke 'material' when assessing what treatment, if any, to undergo."