AHPRA Advertising for Chiropractors: 7 Claims That Get a Warning Letter

AHPRA sends chiropractors warning letters when their ads break the National Law. Seven claims trigger a letter most often. They are treating conditions like asthma or colic, showing patient testimonials, using the word "specialist", claiming to correct "subluxations" as a cause of disease, promising outcomes, advertising spinal care for babies, and claims nobody can check, like "best in town". Section 133 of the National Law bans testimonials outright. Every health claim also needs good evidence behind it. The good news is that most chiropractors fix their ads after the first letter, and that stops any further action.

Why chiropractors get more advertising scrutiny than most

Your ads follow the same rulebook as every other registered health profession in Australia. That rulebook is the National Law. AHPRA enforces it together with the Chiropractic Board of Australia.

So why do you feel the heat more? Some of the profession's traditional claims go well beyond the spine. Many of those claims do not have the level of evidence AHPRA asks for. So a phrase you see as normal can look like a misleading claim to a regulator. AHPRA and the Chiropractic Board have run targeted advertising compliance action against exactly these claims.

The core rule is simple. AHPRA's "Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service" say any claim about a health benefit needs good evidence behind it. If you cannot point to good evidence, you cannot make the claim. The 7 claims below are where clinics slip most often.

Claim 1: chiropractic treats asthma, colic, or ear infections

This is the top trigger. Say your ads claim chiropractic can treat asthma, allergies, colic in babies, ADHD, ear infections, bedwetting or gut problems. AHPRA treats that as misleading, because good evidence does not back it.

The problem is a health claim that the evidence does not support. It does not matter if one patient felt better. AHPRA asks whether the general claim has support, and for these conditions it does not.

What to say instead: describe the muscle and joint care you actually give. "We assess and manage back pain, neck pain, and joint issues" is a claim you can support. Keep your ads to the spine, muscles and joints, and leave the rest out.

Claim 2: patient testimonials and reviews on your site

Section 133 of the National Law bans testimonials in health ads. This one catches almost every clinic at some point.

A testimonial is any comment about the care a patient got or how it turned out. That includes a wall of five-star quotes, a Google reviews widget or a patient story on your homepage. AHPRA's own testimonial tool shows what counts. Once you show or pick out a review on a site you control, it becomes advertising. Then the ban applies.

What to say instead: describe your service, your training and the way you work, in your own words. You can still build trust without borrowing a patient's words about their results. My full guide on patient testimonials and AHPRA shows where the line sits, including on review sites run by others.

Claim 3: calling yourself a "specialist"

You may want to show a focus, like children or sports care. The trap is the word you use to do it.

Under the National Law, you can only use the title "specialist" if you hold an approved specialty in your profession. Chiropractic has no approved specialties in Australia. So "specialist in paediatric chiropractic" is a title you are not allowed to claim. It also misleads patients about your registration.

What to say instead: describe your experience in plain words. "Chiropractor with substantial experience in musculoskeletal care for children" says the same thing without claiming a title you do not hold. Swap "specialist" for "experienced in" or "a focus on", and you stay on the right side of the rule.

Claim 4: "we find and correct subluxations"

Some clinics build their whole message around finding and fixing "subluxations" as the hidden cause of disease. In an ad, that claim is a problem.

Your ad might present a spinal finding as the root of general illness, with your adjustment as the fix. That is a health claim the evidence does not support. It can also lead patients to expect that treatment will clear up unrelated health problems, which is not fair to them.

What to say instead: talk about checking how joints move, posture and pain in muscles and joints. Keep the claim to what you check and manage in the body's structure. Do not tie it to fixing disease. Describe the process, and leave out any promise that it will heal an illness.

Claim 5: outcome promises and guarantees

Read your service pages for lines like "pain gone in one visit", "we will fix your posture", or "guaranteed relief". Each one promises a result. AHPRA says these make patients expect more benefit than is fair.

You cannot promise a clinical result for every patient, so you cannot advertise one. This is also a consumer law issue. The ACCC goes after false or misleading claims, with penalties that reach up to $50 million per breach for a company (ACCC, 2024).

What to say instead: set honest expectations. "Many patients see improvement over a course of care, though results vary" describes the same benefit without a promise. Explain how you work and what a first visit involves. Let that build trust.

Claim 6: spinal adjustments for babies and newborns

Care for babies is one of the most closely watched areas in chiropractic ads. The Chiropractic Board has put out a statement on paediatric care. It sets clear rules for how you can advertise this care.

Say you advertise spinal adjustments for babies to help with crying, sleep, feeding or immunity. That is a health claim the evidence does not support. It also targets a group that needs extra protection. Together, those two things draw attention fast.

What to say instead: if you see children, keep any claim narrow, honest and backed by evidence. Follow the Board's statement on children to the letter. When the evidence is not there, the safest choice is to leave the claim out.

Claim 7: "best", "leading", or "number one"

Scan your headlines for boasts like these. "Melbourne's best chiropractor." "The leading spinal clinic in Brisbane." "Number one for results."

These claims fail for 2 reasons. First, nobody can usually check them, so they are misleading under AHPRA's guidelines and consumer law. Second, claims that rank you above other practitioners are exactly what the guidelines warn against.

What to say instead: use clear facts you can prove. Your years in practice, your qualifications, the conditions you manage and the areas you serve are all true and easy to check. A fact you can prove always beats a boast you cannot.

Watch one more thing, and that is discount offers. Big discounts or free scans with no terms can look like a push to use a service people may not need. If you run an offer, keep it clear, honest and limited in time.

What to do if a letter arrives

A warning letter is not the end of the world, but it does come with a deadline. It usually names the ad at issue and asks you to fix it by a set date.

Your wisest move is to act quickly and fully. Check your whole site, your social profiles and your directory listings, and not just the one page named. Remove the testimonials, drop the claims you cannot support and rewrite the promises. Most practitioners who fix their ads after the first letter face no further action. That is exactly what the letter is for.

Better still, you can avoid getting one at all. A compliance and search audit reads your site the way a regulator would. It flags every risky claim and shows you a version that follows the rules, before anyone else spots the problem. If your agency has never mentioned AHPRA, my guide on how to tell if your agency understands AHPRA is worth five minutes. For the full picture, start with the AHPRA advertising guidelines for 2026.

This is general information for chiropractors and their marketing teams. It is not legal advice. AHPRA's ad guidelines, the Chiropractic Board's statement on children and consumer law change from time to time. Check the current versions on the AHPRA, Chiropractic Board and ACCC websites. Get formal advice for big decisions.