Illinois Code § 15

§ 15.

Practice of naprapathy defined; referrals. Naprapathic practice means the identification, evaluation, and treatment of persons with connective tissue disorders through the use of naprapathic case history and palpation or treatment of persons by the use of connective tissue manipulation, therapeutic and rehabilitative exercise, postural counseling, nutritional counseling, and the use of the effective properties of physical measures of heat, cold, light, water, radiant energy, electricity, sound and air, and assistive devices for the purpose of preventing, correcting, or alleviating a physical disability. Naprapathic practice includes, but is not limited to, the treatment of contractures, muscle spasms, inflammation, scar tissue formation, adhesions, lesions, laxity, hypotonicity, rigidity, structural imbalance, bruising, contusions, muscular atrophy, and partial separation of connective tissue fibers. Naprapathic practice also includes: (a) performance of specialized tests and measurements, (b) administration of specialized treatment procedures, (c) interpretation of referrals from licensed physicians, dentists, and podiatric physicians, (d) establishment and modification of naprapathic treatment programs, and (e) supervision or teaching of naprapathy. Naprapathic practice does not include radiology, surgery, pharmacology, or invasive diagnostic testing. A naprapath licensed under this Act who is not also licensed as a physical therapist under the Illinois Physical Therapy Act shall not hold himself or herself out as qualified to provide physical therapy or physiotherapy services. Nothing in this Section shall limit a naprapath from employing appropriate naprapathic techniques that he or she is educated and licensed to perform. A naprapath shall refer to a licensed physician, dentist, or podiatric physician any patient whose medical condition should, at the time of evaluation or treatment, be determined to be beyond the scope of practice of the naprapath. A naprapath shall order additional screening if the patient does not demonstrate measurable or functional improvement after 6 visits and continued improvement thereafter. A naprapath shall refer a patient to the patient's treating health care professional of record or, in the case where there is no health care professional of record, to a health care professional of the patient's choice, if the patient's condition, at the time of evaluation or services, is determined to be beyond the scope of practice of the naprapath. (Source: P.A. 102-880, eff. 1-1-23.)