April 2007

Connecticut law would require stroke warnings

Connecticut legislators will consider a bill mandating that doctors of chiropractic warn patients about the potential risk of strokes from chiropractic care, despite persuasive scientific evidence that such risk is so minimal as to be insignificant.

The bill states that no chiropractor "may perform any procedure, adjustment, manipulation or treatment on any person without first receiving written informed consent from such person for such procedure, adjustment, manipulation or treatment. A copy of the informed consent shall be maintained with such person's medical records."

The law would also mandate that the informed consent include "prior verbal and written notification of the risks and possible side effects of any proposed procedure, adjustment, manipulation or treatment." If passed, it would take effect in October 2007.

A public hearing was held by the state legislature's Public Health Committee on March 5 but information on that hearing was not available at press time.

The bill was introduced by state senator Leonard Fasano (R‑North Haven) at the instigation of a constituent, Janet Levy of Woodbridge, who claims to have suffered a stroke after visiting a chiropractor. In June 2007, Levy formed the group "Victims of Chiropractic Abuse," which appears to be similar to the "Chiropractic Stroke Victims Awareness Group" that launched the "Injured by a Chiropractor" campaign last year.

The "Awareness" group was founded Britt Hawre, also of Connecticut, who also claims her stroke was caused by chiropractic treatment.

According to a press release distributed by the two groups, "both women suffered damaged arteries during chiropractic treatment that resulted in strokes. They represent hundreds of other people who have had similar experiences."

"Chiropractors advertise that their procedures are 'safe' and 'natural' so the public assumes there are no risks and this is simply not true," Levy said in the release. "We want it to be mandatory that chiropractors inform patients about any and all risks of chiropractic procedures because it should be the public's right to know."

The groups are responsible for billboards, bus ads, newspaper ads and Internet sites with the anti‑chiropractic message. In response, the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) began an aggressive public education campaign aimed at providing scientific evidence on the safety of chiropractic adjustments.

Although it started with an account of Hawre's story, the Associated Press article about the proposed legislation included counter arguments by Matthew N. Pagano, DC, president of the Connecticut Chiropractic Association. "I think it's appropriate for the public health community to be concerned about issues of public safety, but I think at best this proposal is a misplaced attempt at patient advocacy and is perhaps prejudicial against the chiropractic profession," he said.

Sen. Fasano noted that he introduced the bill as a way to ensure that patients get valuable information. "What is so bad about saying here are the potential risks?" Fasano said.

WCA President Terry A. Rondberg, DC, said such arguments are false since they clearly are not applied to all health care providers.

"If chiropractors are forced to 'warn' patients about a risk that has been estimated at less than one in a million, why aren't medical doctors compelled to warn patients about the much higher risk of drugs they prescribe at nearly every visit? If lawmakers really want to protect their constituents," Dr. Rondberg advised, "they need to look at the most dangerous health care approach, which is allopathic medicine."

Rondberg also pointed out the fact that Fasano has introduced two other bills perceived as anti‑chiropractic.

One would require the state's insurance department to make information about medical malpractice claims against chiropractors available to the public. The other specifies that "any licensed chiropractor who uses the title 'Doctor' or any abbreviation or synonym thereof, without a clear designation that the licensee is a practitioner of chiropractic, shall be deemed to have committed an act of fraud or material deception in the course of professional services or activities."