The following story contains descriptions of a graphic nature. Discretion is advised.
IDAHO FALLS — An eastern Idaho chiropractor has been accused of using the guise of medical treatment to sexually touch a patient.
Larry Nelson is charged with three counts of misdemeanor sexual exploitation by a medical care provider.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Nelson is the owner of Eastern Idaho Chiropractic & Acupuncture in Idaho Falls.
Many of the court documents are sealed, so there is little detail on the case, but a criminal complaint states that Nelson “did engage in an act of sexual contact with the intimate parts of a client.”
The document says Nelson touched “an intimate part of (the victim), for the purpose of arousing, appealing to gratify the lust, passion or sexual arousal of the defendant, and/or the touching of the intimate part was outside the scope of treatment by touching her breasts, groin and/or vagina.”
The complaint alleges that this happened at least three times with the same victim in December, January and March.
Nelson has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and in an interview with EastIdahoNews.com on Friday, said his treatments are not sexual in nature.
Another complaint
While this is the first time criminal charges have been filed against Nelson, it isn’t the first time he’s been accused of inappropriately touching patients.
A 2020 complaint was filed with the Idaho State Board of Chiropractic Physicians alleging Nelson inappropriately touched a patient (not the same one as the criminal complaint) while performing an “intervaginal coccyx adjustment.”
The Idaho State Board of Chiropractic Physicians regulates the licensing of local chiropractors and issues disciplinary action following investigations into patient complaints.
The complaint stems from incidents starting in January 2020, when a female patient visited Nelson for care after she slipped and fell on ice.
“As part of her treatment, (Nelson) informed (the patient) that the adjustment could be performed externally through the anus or internally through the vagina,” according to the complaint.
Documents say Nelson told the patient that an external chiropractic adjustment could have limited success, leading her to consent to an internal or intervaginal coccyx adjustment.
According to an article in the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association, an internal coccyx adjustment is a real treatment, used for patients who have “tailbone” pain after some type of fall or after vaginal childbirth.
The coccyx, also known as the tailbone, is a “small, triangular bone resembling a shortened tail located at the bottom of the spine,” according to Healthline.
Nelson reportedly performed the adjustment through the patient’s vagina. On Feb. 11, 2020, the patient returned to Nelson, saying she was experiencing pain again.
The complaint says Nelson adjusted the patient’s back, toes, elbows, fingers and neck and performed another internal coccyx adjustment, inserting his fingers into the patient’s vagina.
The patient then asked Nelson how to address issues with painful intercourse, to which he offered to provide an “O-shot” to alleviate the pain.
According to the complaint, an “O-shot” consists of “injections into five spots” around the woman’s genitals.
While explaining the shot, Nelson’s fingers were reportedly “still inside (the patient’s) vaginal canal treating muscle spasms.” The complaint states that Nelson continued to explain the shot while allegedly “using his thumb to touch the areas around (the patient’s genitals) where he would perform the injections.”
A consent order, authored by the state board, states Nelson’s actions violated the laws and rules governing chiropractor practice in Idaho and constituted sexual misconduct. That is defined as “any behaviors such as gestures, expression, and statements that are sexually suggestive or demeaning to a patient or that demonstrate a lock of respect for the patient’s privacy.”
The board ordered Nelson to “immediately cease and desist from performing any intervaginal coccyx adjustments.”
Nelson signed the complaint, acknowledging the misconduct, his chiropractic license was put on probation for two years, and he had to pay fines of $3,825.
Due to the sealing of the criminal complaint, it’s unclear if the criminal charges are related to intervaginal coccyx adjustments.
Chiropractor responds to allegations
EastIdahoNews.com reached out to Nelson on Friday morning, who stated that the claims in the criminal court case are “baseless.”
“The treatment did occur, but the intent that they’re alleging is not accurate,” said Nelson. “There is no sexual misconduct. It is an actual treatment rendered to naturopathic care.”
Nelson claims there was always an office staff member nearby during the treatments.
“We’ve been in practice 35 years, and this is just baseless,” says Nelson.
Nelson is expected to appear for an arraignment on May 27. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to three years in prison and further action on his chiropractic license by the Idaho State Board of Chiropractic Physicians.
Though Nelson has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
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