Sec. 16501.
(1) As used in this part:
(a) "Acupressure" means a form of manual therapy in which physical pressure is applied to various points on the body.
(b) "Acupuncture" means the insertion and manipulation of needles through the surface of the human body. Acupuncture includes, but is not limited to, laser acupuncture, electroacupuncture, pricking therapy, dry needling, and intramuscular stimulation.
(c) "Acupuncturist" means an individual who is licensed under this part to engage in the practice of acupuncture.
(d) "Cupping" means the placement of a specially designed cup on the body to create suction.
(e) "Dermal friction" means the use of repeated, closely timed, unidirectional press-stroking with a smooth-edged instrument over a lubricated area of the body.
(f) "Dietary counseling" means the process of advising a patient about healthy food choices and healthy eating habits in accordance with East Asian medical theory.
(g) "Dry needling" means a rehabilitative procedure using filiform needles to penetrate the skin or underlying tissues by targeting only myofascial trigger points and muscular and connective tissues to affect change in body structures and functions for the evaluation and management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairment. Dry needling does not include the stimulation of auricular points or other acupuncture points.
(h) "East Asian medicine techniques" includes, but is not limited to, acupuncture, manual therapy, moxibustion, heat therapy, dietary counseling, therapeutic exercise, acupressure, cupping, dermal friction, homeopathy, lifestyle coaching, and treatment with herbal medicines.
(i) "Heat therapy" means the use of heat in therapy, such as for pain relief and health.
(j) "Herbal medicine" means the internal and external use of a plant or a plant extract, a mineral, or an animal product, that is not a prescription drug as that term is defined in section 17708.
(k) "Homeopathy" means the use of a highly diluted natural remedy from the plant, mineral, and animal domain.
(l) "Lifestyle coaching" means the process of advising a patient about healthy lifestyle choices and habits in accordance with East Asian medical theory.
(m) "Manual therapy" means the application of an accurately determined and specifically directed manual force to the body, excluding a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust to the spine.
(n) "Moxibustion" means burning the dried plant Artemisia vulgaris on or very near the surface of the skin as a form of therapy.
(o) "Practice of acupuncture", subject to subsection (2), means the use of traditional and contemporary East Asian medical theory to assess and diagnose a patient, to develop a plan to treat the patient, and to treat the patient through East Asian medicine techniques.
(p) "Practice of chiropractic" means that term as defined in section 16401.
(q) "Practice of massage therapy" means that term as defined in section 17951.
(r) "Practice of medicine" means that term as defined in section 17001.
(s) "Practice of osteopathic medicine and surgery" means that term as defined in section 17501.
(t) "Practice of physical therapy" means that term as defined in section 17801.
(u) "Registered acupuncturist" means an individual who is registered or otherwise authorized under this part before the effective date of the rules promulgated under section 16525 regarding licensure.
(v) "Systematic acupuncture education" means a course of education that covers the foundation of acupuncture science and theory, channel and point location, needling techniques, approaches to diagnosis and therapy, and patient management.
(w) "Therapeutic exercise" means a range of physical activities that help restore and build physical strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and stability.
(2) For purposes of this part, practice of acupuncture does not include the practice of medicine, the practice of osteopathic medicine and surgery, the practice of physical therapy, the practice of occupational therapy, the practice of podiatric medicine and podiatric surgery, the practice of nursing, the practice of dentistry, the practice of massage therapy, or the practice of chiropractic.
(3) In addition to the definitions in this part, article 1 contains general definitions and principles of construction applicable to all articles in the code and part 161 contains definitions applicable to this part.
History: Add. 2006, Act 30, Eff. July 1, 2006 ;-- Am. 2019, Act 140, Eff. Mar. 4, 2020 ;-- Am. 2020, Act 136, Imd. Eff. July 8, 2020
Popular Name: Act 368