Scope of Practice, Prohibited Conduct, and Delegation/Supervision Rules
What this domain tests
Scope-of-practice questions ask what a Georgia chiropractor may do, what must be referred, and what may be delegated to staff. The exam rewards precise distinctions: diagnosis versus treatment, adjustment versus supportive modality, and supervision versus unauthorized delegation.
Core scope rules
- A chiropractor may examine, diagnose, and treat neuromusculoskeletal conditions using chiropractic adjustment or manipulation of the spine and other articulations.
- Authorized adjuncts include diagnostic x-rays, physical modalities such as ultrasound or electrical stimulation, therapeutic exercise, nutritional and lifestyle counseling, and other procedures permitted by Board rule.
- Chiropractors do not perform surgery, prescribe or administer legend drugs, administer anesthesia, use therapeutic radiation, or treat conditions outside the statutory scope. They must refer or co-manage when a patient needs medical, surgical, or emergency care.
- Red flags-fever, unexplained weight loss, neurological deficit, chest pain, fracture, infection, or cancer history-require diagnostic evaluation and referral, not repeated adjustment alone.
Prohibited conduct and delegation
- It is prohibited to practice outside scope, aid unlicensed practice, make false or misleading advertisements, guarantee a cure, split fees improperly, abandon a patient, or practice while impaired.
- Chiropractic assistants may perform administrative and basic supportive tasks under the supervision level set by Board rule. They may not diagnose, determine a treatment plan, perform a chiropractic adjustment, or exercise independent professional judgment.
- “Direct supervision” generally means the licensed chiropractor is physically present or immediately available as the rule defines; “general supervision” is not a license to delegate clinical judgment.
Worked example
A patient presents with acute low-back pain and a history of prostate cancer. The chiropractor documents the history, performs a focused examination, and finds no red flags, then adjusts and schedules follow-up. If the patient instead reports night pain, unexplained weight loss, and bladder changes, the chiropractor must refer for medical evaluation before continuing manipulation. Delegating the adjustment to an assistant would be prohibited in either case.
Traps that cost marks
Recommending an over-the-counter supplement is not the same as prescribing a legend drug. Ordering diagnostic imaging is not the same as performing surgery. A trained assistant is not a substitute for a license. “The patient asked for it” never expands scope.