Chiropractic Acupuncture
Separate credential
Maine permits chiropractors to perform acupuncture only after obtaining the Board's separate acupuncture credential; the chiropractic license alone is not enough. The Board sets the additional education and application requirements. The authorized scope is acupuncture as defined by Board rule, not the full practice of oriental medicine. Herbal prescribing and other modalities outside the credential remain prohibited.
Core requirements
- Hold an active chiropractic license in good standing.
- Complete the Board-specified acupuncture training, including clean-needle technique and safety.
- Obtain informed consent and maintain acupuncture-specific records.
- Practice only within the credential; do not delegate needle insertion to an assistant.
- Report adverse events and follow infection-control standards.
Worked example
A chiropractor without the acupuncture credential uses dry needling on a patient's shoulder and calls it a chiropractic modality. The Board may treat this as practicing acupuncture without the required credential if the technique falls within the rule's definition. The defense that the needles are not acupuncture fails if the Board rule defines the procedure by technique and effect.
Traps
Assuming the chiropractic license covers acupuncture; confusing dry needling with a separate authorized procedure; using an assistant to insert or remove needles; skipping consent; practicing herbal medicine under the acupuncture credential.