A Texas district court judge has ruled that chiropractors must limit their diagnoses to biomechanical conditions of the spine and musculoskeletal system. The judge's reasoning is spelled out in the decision letter issued in August. The final order ended a four-year lower-court battle that pitted the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and Texas Medical Board against the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBC) and Texas Chiropractic Association (TCA). The TMA initiated the suit in 2006 to block TBC rules that would permit chiropractors to perform clinical needle electromyography (EMG) and spinal manipulation under anesthesia (MUA), which the TMA charged were beyond the chiropractors' lawful scope of practice. The TMA also challenged whether chiropractors should have the right to "diagnose" medical conditions. MUA has some respectable use for treating frozen shoulder or knee problems, but spinal MUA has none. Aetna's Clinical Policy Guide provides a detailed discussion of MUA. In November 2009, the judge ruled that Texas law prevents chiropractors from performing EMG or MUA. The chiropractors have notified the court that they will file an appeal. The TCA Web site, which is seeking donations to help pay for the appeal, claims that the adverse ruling has the potential to wipe out the entire chiropractic profession.   Health Leaders Media (24th August 2010)