Colorado § 12-215-103 - Definitions.

§ 12-215-103. Definitions.

As used in this article 215, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Acupuncture" means the puncture of the skin with fine needles for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

(2) (a) "Animal chiropractic" means diagnosing and treating animal vertebral subluxation through chiropractic adjustment of the spine or extremity articulations of fully awake dogs and equids. The chiropractic adjustment may be performed only with the hands or with the use of a handheld low-force mechanical adjusting device functionally equivalent to the device known as an activator; all other equipment is prohibited.

(b) "Animal chiropractic" does not include:

(I) Performing veterinary medical care and diagnosis;

(II) Performing surgery;

(III) Dispensing or administering medications, dietary or nutritional supplements, herbs, essences, nutraceutical products, or anything else supplied orally, rectally, by inhalation, by injection, or topically except topically applied heat or cold;

(IV) Generating radiographic images or performing imaging procedures, including thermography;

(V) Performing acupuncture, or any treatment activity other than chiropractic adjustment;

(VI) Providing magnetic or other nonmanual treatment techniques, colonics, colored-light therapy, homeopathy, radionics, or vitamin therapy;

(VII) Venipuncture;

(VIII) Making diagnoses by methods such as live cell analysis, pendulum divining, iridology, hair analysis, nutritional deficiency questionnaires, herbal crystallization analysis, or food allergy testing.

(3) "Animal vertebral subluxation" means a lesion or dysfunction in a joint or motion segment in which alignment, movement integrity, or physiological function are altered, although contact between joint surfaces remains intact, that may influence biomechanical and neural integrity. Diagnosis of animal vertebral subluxation typically involves evaluation of gait and radiographs, and static and motion palpation techniques that are used to identify joint dysfunction. Diagnosis of animal vertebral subluxation does not include methods such as applied kinesiology, reflexology, pendulum divining, or thermography.

(3.5) "Board" means the Colorado state board of chiropractic examiners created in section 12-215-104 (1).

(4) "Chiropractic" means that branch of the healing arts that is based on the premise that disease is attributable to the abnormal functioning of the human nervous system. It includes the diagnosing and analyzing of human ailments and seeks the elimination of the abnormal functioning of the human nervous system by the adjustment or manipulation, by hand or instrument, of the articulations and adjacent tissue of the human body, particularly the spinal column, and the use as indicated of procedures that facilitate the adjustment or manipulation and make it more effective and the use of sanitary, hygienic, nutritional, and physical remedial measures for the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health, the prevention of disease, and the treatment of human ailments. "Chiropractic" includes the use of venipuncture for diagnostic purposes. "Chiropractic" does not include colonic irrigation therapy. "Chiropractic" includes treatment by acupuncture when performed by an appropriately trained chiropractor as determined by the Colorado state board of chiropractic examiners. Nothing in this section shall apply to persons using acupuncture not licensed by the board.

(5) "Chiropractic adjustment" means the application, by hand, by a trained chiropractor who has fulfilled the educational and licensing requirements of this article 215, of adjustive force to correct subluxations, fixations, structural distortions, abnormal tensions, and disrelated structures, or to remove interference with the transmission of nerve force. The application of the dynamic adjustive thrust is designed and intended to produce and usually elicits audible and perceptible release of tensions and movement of tissues or anatomical parts for the purpose of removing or correcting interference to nerve transmission and expression.

(6) "Electrotherapy" means the application of any radiant or current energies of high or low frequency, alternating or direct, except surgical cauterization, electrocoagulation, the use of radium in any form, and X-ray therapy.

(7) "Equid" means a hoofed mammal of the family equidae and includes donkeys, horses, mules, and zebras.

(8) "Licensed veterinarian" has the same meaning as set forth in section 12-315-104 (11).

(9) "Venipuncture" means the puncture of a vein for the withdrawal of blood for the purpose of diagnosis through blood analysis. Any blood analysis shall be done by a chiropractor or by a commercial laboratory.

(10) "Veterinary medical clearance" means that a veterinarian licensed under article 315 of this title 12 has examined an animal patient, has provided a diagnosis or differential diagnosis if appropriate, and has provided written clearance, which may be transmitted electronically, for animal chiropractic. The veterinary medical clearance shall precede the commencement of animal chiropractic treatment and may contain limitations on the scope, date of initiation, and duration of chiropractic treatment. Once a veterinary medical clearance has been received, the chiropractor is responsible for developing the plan of care for the animal patient's animal chiropractic.

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1059, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2025: (3.5) added, (SB 25-275), ch. 377, p. 2041, § 57, effective August 6.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-33-102 as it existed prior to 2019.

ANNOTATION

Annotator's note. The following annotations include cases decided under former provisions similar to this section.

Teaching the correct poise of the body and its beneficial effect on general health without diagnosing the condition of any person or recommending any specific relief therefor is not a violation of this section. Hurley v. People, 99 Colo. 510, 63 P.2d 1227 (1936) (decided under repealed CSA, C. 34, § 1).

Hypnosis, psychotherapy, and family and marriage counseling are not part of the regular practice of chiropractic. Bernie v. State Bd. of Chiropractic Exam'rs, 36 Colo. App. 229, 538 P.2d 1345 (1975).

Applied in Flemming v. Colo. State Bd. of Educ., 157 Colo. 45, 400 P.2d 932 (1965).