Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor

Drugless in New Mexico

Maria DiDanieli   

Features Clinical Patient Care

March
18, Simcoe, ON
– Recent efforts, in the state of New
Mexico, to expand chiropractic scope of practice to
include the ability to prescribe certain drugs have been defeated.

The
defeat is the result of vigorous intervention on the part of the International
Chiropractic Association (ICA), well-known chiropractic leaders Dr. Guy
Reickeman (president of Life University chiropractic program) and Dr. Gerard
Clum (recent past president of Life-West), as well as a majority of DCs in New Mexico.
Opposition to the premise of adding drug therapies to chiropractic practice
also came from DCs from across North America.
The controversial bill was voted down by the New Mexico Senate on March 17,
2011.

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The New
Mexico Chiropractic Association initially introduced the notion, against the
profession’s general stance that drug therapies are not aligned with its
practice intent to begin with. 
Opposition to adding drug therapies stems from the dual notion that drugs
are already a leading cause of death and/or serious side-effects – meaning that
adding them to care introduces unnecessary risk –  and that, as potential toxins, their use is
not congruent with the intentions of natural healing and maintenance of good
health that are integral to the chiropractic paradigm.

Major
concerns that have reared themselves include why certain groups of
chiropractors feel strongly enough that drugs belong within chiropractic to
attempt to turn this notion into law as well as the potential that law makers,
or even citizen groups, have to drastically influence or change the practice of
chiropractic. 

In his
“Message of the Week”, Dr. Dennis Perman, chiropractor and Master’s Circle
chiropractic member wrote, “
This time, chiropractic
principle triumphs, but make no mistake, some degree of vigilance would be
wise. Misguided individuals or small groups may again plot to mutate their DC
licenses into some chiro-medical hybrid, and to my observation, this is neither
a good idea nor the will of the majority.”

He adds, “It’s saddening
and disturbing that some chiropractors feel under-equipped to care for their
patients, and rather than investigating the vast array of tools, techniques and
knowledge to be discovered within chiropractic, instead feel compelled to…use
methods contrary to our essence…. Let’s interface with medicine when it would
suit the patient’s best interests….”

 


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