Administrative Rules for Chiropractic
What the rules do
The Michigan Administrative Code chiropractic rules (R 338.12001 et seq.) implement Part 164. They define terms such as “chiropractic procedure,” “adjunctive procedure,” “board-approved continuing education,” and “patient record,” and they set standards for equipment, sanitation, advertising, and documentation. Exam questions often turn on whether a specific activity is a chiropractic procedure, an adjunctive procedure, or outside both.
Core rule content
- Adjunctive procedures are supportive measures authorized by rule - for example, physiological therapeutics, exercise, massage, and nutritional counseling - and must be provided within the chiropractor’s training and scope.
- Continuing education for renewal is biennial and includes a required ethics component; the board sets hour categories and may cap how many hours from one category count.
- Advertising must be truthful and not misleading; guarantees of cure and unsubstantiated superiority claims are prohibited.
- Equipment must be maintained and used according to manufacturer instructions; sanitation and infection-control practices apply to tables, instruments, and shared surfaces.
- Patient records must contain sufficient information to identify the patient, the dates of service, history, examination findings, diagnosis, treatment, informed consent, and response to care.
Worked example
A licensee submits 20 hours of nutrition webinars, 6 hours of practice-management lectures, and 4 hours of ethics for a 30-hour renewal. If the board caps nutrition or practice-management hours, the total may not satisfy the requirement even though the raw hours equal 30. Each hour must be mapped to an approved category, and proof should be retained.
Traps that cost marks
Any CE course does not automatically count. Category caps, ethics hours, and documentation are separate requirements. Rules are enforceable standards, not suggestions.