N.Y. Laws » CHAPTER Education / TITLE The Professions / ARTICLE Chiropractic
New York Consolidated Laws

N.Y. Education Law § 6551 (2026)

Definition of practice of chiropractic

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 6551. Definition of practice of chiropractic.  1.  The practice of
the profession of chiropractic is defined as detecting and correcting by
manual or mechanical means structural imbalance, distortion, or
subluxations in the human body for the purpose of removing nerve
interference and the effects thereof, where such interference is the
result of or related to distortion, misalignment or subluxation of or in
the vertebral column.
  2. a. A license to practice as a chiropractor shall not permit the
holder thereof to use radio-therapy, fluoroscopy, or any form of
ionizing radiation except X-ray which shall be used for the detection of
structural imbalance, distortion, or subluxations in the human body.
  b. The requirements and limitations with respect to the use of X-ray
by chiropractors shall be enforced by the state commissioner of health
and he is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations after
conferring with the board to carry out the purposes of this subdivision.
  c. Chiropractors shall retain for a period of three years all X-ray
films taken in the course of their practice, together with the records
pertaining thereto, and shall make such films and records available to
the state commissioner of health or his representative on demand.
  3. A license to practice chiropractic shall not permit the holder
thereof to treat for any infectious diseases such as pneumonia, any
communicable diseases listed in the sanitary code of the state of New
York, any of the cardio-vascular-renal or cardio-pulmonary diseases, any
surgical condition of the abdomen such as acute appendicitis, or
diabetes, or any benign or malignant neoplasms; to operate; to reduce
fractures or dislocations; to prescribe, administer, dispense or use in
his practice drugs or medicines; or to use diagnostic or therapeutic
methods involving chemical or biological means except diagnostic
services performed by clinical laboratories which services shall be
approved by the board as appropriate to the practice of chiropractic; or
to utilize electrical devices except those devices approved by the board
as being appropriate to the practice of chiropractic. Nothing herein
shall be construed to prohibit a licensed chiropractor who has
successfully completed a registered doctoral program in chiropractic,
which contains courses of study in nutrition satisfactory to the
department, from using nutritional counseling, including the dispensing
of food concentrates, food extracts, vitamins, minerals, and other
nutritional supplements approved by the board as being appropriate to,
and as a part of, his or her practice of chiropractic. Nothing herein
shall be construed to prohibit an individual who is not subject to
regulation in this state as a licensed chiropractor from engaging in
nutritional counseling.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 20 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1985–2024 · leading case: Koultukis v. Phillips, 285 A.D.2d 433 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001).
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Koultukis v. Phillips, 285 A.D.2d 433 (N.Y. App. Div. 2001). · cites it 2× “Here, the DOB’s interpretation of the term “medical office” in Zoning Resolution § 22-14 to include only medical professionals as defined by Education Law § 6521, but not chiropractors as defined by Education Law § 6551, cannot be termed unreasonable, and its inclusion of…”
Hodder v. United States, 328 F. Supp. 2d 335 (E.D.N.Y 2004). “See N.Y. Educ. Law § 6551 (McKinney 1985, 1998 Supp.”
New York State Chiropractic Ass'n v. New York State Bd. of Regents, 120 A.D.2d 177 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986). · cites it 8× “Effective November 4, 1984, the Education Law was amended to give chiropractors, inter alia, the right to use "diagnostic services performed by clinical laboratories which services shall be approved by the board as appropriate to the practice of chiropractic” (Education Law §…”
ABC Med. Mgmt., Inc. v. GEICO Gen. Ins., 3 Misc. 3d 181 (N.Y. City Civ. Ct. 2003). · cites it 5× “Education Law § 6551 (3), in pertinent part, states: “A license to practice chiropractic shall not permit the holder thereof .”
Young v. Sethi, 2020 NY Slip Op 06330 (N.Y. App. Div. 2020). “Macagnone's affirmation did not establish the existence of a triable issue of fact as to defendants' alleged negligence, as he was not qualified to provide expert medical opinion evidence regarding the standards of care applicable to interbody fusion surgery ( see generally…”
Perez v. Fitzgerald, 115 A.D.3d 177 (N.Y. App. Div. 2014). “Further, the record establishes that the treatment provided by Fitzgerald, consisting of adjusting or applying force to different parts of the spine, massages, heat compression, and manipulation of plaintiffs neck, constituted chiropractic treatment (see Education Law § 6551).…”
Walt v. GEICO Gen. Ins., 16 Misc. 3d 23 (N.Y. App. Term. 2007). “While it is true that workers’ compensation fee schedules have been established for acupuncture services performed by a chiropractor, the record is silent as to whether the subject billing refers to treatment which is usually rendered by a chiropractor within the scope of his or…”
Machac v. Anderson, 261 A.D.2d 811 (N.Y. App. Div. 1999). “Notably, a chiropractor is not licensed to interpret X rays for the detection of fractures (see, Education Law § 6551 [2] [a]) and is not competent to render an opinion in that regard (see, Crozier v Lesniewski, 195 AD2d 657 ).”
Tahir v. Progressive Cas. Ins., 12 Misc. 3d 657 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2006). “The defendant has advanced no argument that CPT or sNCT is a procedure which the State Board of Regents and the State Board for Chiropractors do not permit a chiropractor to “prescribe” nor an electrical device which a chiropractor may not “utilize” (Education Law § 6551 [3]).…”
Crozier v. Lesniewski, 195 A.D.2d 657 (N.Y. App. Div. 1993). “In addition, we note that a diagnosis of a fracture of the nose is beyond the scope of chiropractic practice (Education Law § 6551). Accordingly, the order must be affirmed.”
Butchino v. Bush, 109 A.D.2d 1001 (N.Y. App. Div. 1985). “He described a subluxation, a condition chiropractors are expressly authorized by statute to manage (Education Law § 6551), as a locking of cervical vertebrae within or slightly beyond the normal range of motion; defendant’s expert, a general surgeon, referred to it as a partial…”
Studin v. Allstate Ins., 152 Misc. 2d 221 (1991). “The use of electrical devices is recognized in New York as an acceptable part of chiropractic treatment, provided the Federal Food and Drug Administration has not disapproved of the device (see, Education Law § 6551 [3]; 8 NYCRR 73.3). The Superintendent has provided a fee…”
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