Chiropractic Treatment of Sports-Related Injuries

In the United States alone, approximately 8.6 million sports-related injuries are reported each year. All types of sports have a potential for injury, whether from the trauma of contact with other players or from overuse or misuse of a body part. By far, the most common injuries are sprains and strains.

Unsurprisingly, sports medicine is a fast-expanding, multidisciplinary field of healthcare providers, including chiropractic, which focuses on optimizing performance and preventing and treating injuries of athletes and physically active individuals.

When treating sports-related injuries, it is important to take measures to protect your patients and yourself. The goal is to restore proper function, reduce pain, promote healing, and prevent future injuries. If this goal is achieved, chances are you will have happy patients, and happy patients are not likely to sue. So, what can you do to help reduce your risk as a chiropractor when it comes to treating sports-related injuries?

Risk Reduction Considerations
1. Documentation of initial encounter. Your contemporaneous, accurate documentation of your care and treatment of the patient is your best defense in the event of a malpractice lawsuit. Regardless of the location of treatment provided, documentation of the initial patient encounter for the injury should include:

• Chief complaint
• The nature of the injury
• Medical and social history
• Physical examination
• Any testing performed
• Diagnosis
• Discussion of the plan of care with the patient
• Rationale for treatment
• Informed consent for treatment
• Treatment performed
• The patient’s expectations of treatment
• Patient education
• Patient questions and your answers
• Necessary referrals
• Patient follow-up

2. Documentation of subsequent encounters. Documentation of subsequent patient encounters should include:

• Improvement or worsening of symptoms or condition
• Assertation of patient compliance with the treatment plan
• Physical examination
• Testing performed
• Rationale for continuing or modifying the treatment plan
• All conversations with the patient and patient instruction/education

3. Promptly identify the need for patient referral. If at any time during the initial or subsequent patient encounter, assess the patient for any referrals that might be indicated. For example, the patient has a fracture, head injury, or other injury that requires prompt assessment and treatment by a specialist, or the patient is not progressing with treatment as anticipated. Prompt referrals can prevent allegations such as failure to diagnose, failure to treat, or failure to refer. Documentation should include:

• The reason for referral
• To whom you referred
• Phone call to referral provider to expedite an emergent visit, if appropriate
• Your conversation with the patient regarding the necessity of the referral
• Receipt of the referral provider’s report
• Your review of the referral provider’s report
• Your conversation with the patient regarding the referral provider’s report
• Any actions taken based on the referral provider’s report
• Who will resume care of the patient (you or the referral provider)

These are a few basic steps you can take to improve patient outcomes, foster good doctor-patient relationships, and reduce the chances of a malpractice lawsuit. 

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Disclaimer: “OUM” and “OUM Chiropractor Program” do not refer to a legal entity or insurance company but to a program or symbol of a program underwritten, insured, and administered by ProAssurance Insurance Company of America. The information contained on the OUM Chiropractor Blog does not establish a standard of care, nor does it constitute legal advice. The information is for general informational purposes only. We encourage all blog visitors to consult with their personal attorneys for legal advice, as specific legal requirements may vary from state to state. Links or references to organizations, websites, or other information is for reference use only and do not constitute the rendering of legal, financial, or other professional advice or recommendations. In the event any of the information presented conflicts with the terms and conditions of any policy of insurance offered by ProAssurance Insurance Company of America, the terms and conditions of the actual policy will apply. All information contained on the blog is subject to change.