‘Creepy’ chiropractor Terry Power found guilty of professional misconduct

EXCLUSIVE 

A chiropractor who wrote a book promoting the practice of ‘internal treatments’ has been found guilty of professional misconduct after two female patients complained about his ‘creepy’ behaviour to police.

Dr Terry Power, 60, who worked at the Powers Health Practice in Port Macquarie, faces being struck off the medical register after a tribunal found he had failed to obtain informed consent from two female patients.

In 2020, the two women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, made separate and unrelated complaints to NSW Police and the NSW Healthcare Complaints Commission.

The first woman alleged that Dr Power kneaded and squeezed her breast in a ‘creepy’ way, while the second alleged that he inserted two fingers into her vagina.

In August 2020, Dr Power was charged with ‘sexual intercourse without consent’ by NSW Police in relation to the second patient but the charges were dropped six months later.

He was also banned from consulting and treating female patients in August 2020 and has not practiced since.

But now, a NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal brought by the Health Care Complaints Commission has found that Dr Power was guilty of professional misconduct. 

Dr Power denied that he had kneaded and squeezed the patients breast. 

Although he admitted to inserting his fingers into the other patient’s vagina, he denied that he did so without ‘proper and sufficient clinical indications’.

The first patient, who was then in her early 50s, alleged that ‘Dr Power kneaded and squeezed her right breast for about a minute’ during her first-and-only consultation with him in May 2020. 

She told police that she had experienced ‘nothing like this ever with any doctor or chiropractor’, adding that it was ‘like he was just playing with my breast’.   

‘Patient A said Dr Power then moved his hand “to right under my right breast” and went “right up into the crease against my rib cage … pushing quite hard”, the pocle statemnt said.

‘After a little while Dr Power said, “Ah, it’s your liver … You’re angry.” 

‘At some point Dr Power asked Patient A whether she was in a relationship, to which she answered “no””. 

‘Later he asked, “Are you angry at your ex-partner, I’m getting the impression you are angry at your ex”.’

Dr Power denied ‘kneading or squeezing’ the patient’s breasts but the tribunal found hat he did so on the balance of probabilities

Dr Power, who had a 36-year career as a chiropractor, ran the Powers Health Practice (pictured) with his wife

The woman later told the HCCC that she was ‘in shock (because) it was creepy’, claiming the breast examination was ‘like he was kneading dough’.

Dr Power denied ‘kneading or squeezing’ the patient’s breasts but the tribunal found hat he did so on the balance of probabilities. 

The tribunal also heard from the police statement the second patient provided in August 2020.

In it, she claimed Dr Power had asked her how she would ‘feel about an internal’ to which she said yes – if it would help relieve her pain.

‘While standing to her side, Dr Power put on white latex gloves and then inserted two gloved fingers into her vagina,’ the statement read.

‘This caused some pain and discomfort. The Patient could feel Dr Power’s fingers pressing on parts of her body inside her vagina, “it hurt like hell and I wanted to scream”.’

After around a minute had passed, Dr Powers removed his fingers.

The patient later described the consultation as ‘weird’ to family members. 

The procedure is known as an ‘intravaginal technique’, which uses internal vaginal soft tissue massage to relieve pelvic pain by accessing muscles that a doctor could not reach externally. 

The tribunal found that Dr Power did not gain informed consent from the patient because he did not adequately explain what the procedure entailed, meaning his conduct ‘fell significantly below the relevant standard’. 

‘Dr Power’s combined failures were egregious and amounted to a significant departure from the standard reasonably expected of any health practitioner, still less one of his significant experience,’ the tribunal found. 

A spokesperson for the HCCC said ‘Dr Power was found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct’. 

‘It was also alleged that Dr Power failed to notify Ahpra within 7 days of being charged in August 2020 with an offence of sexual intercourse without consent and later made a false declaration in his annual renewal form concerning this change to his criminal history,’ the spokesperson added.

Dr Power, who had a 36-year career as a chiropractor, ran the Powers Health Practice with his wife. 

It is understood she still practices there. 

Dr Power published ‘The Inner Pelvis: Pelvic Floor and Wall Manual for Chiropractors and Other Health Professionals’ in October 2020 – two months after he was barred from treating female patients. 

A blurb for the health manual argues that ‘not all muscles and fascia of the pelvis are able to be treated from external treatments’.

Dr Power published ‘The Inner Pelvis: Pelvic Floor and Wall Manual for Chiropractors and Other Health Professionals’ in October 2020 – two months after he was barred from treating female patients. The book argues that chiropractors, osteopaths or physiotherapists are the best medical professionals to perform ‘internal’ pelvic treatments

‘In order to help some patients who have an internal myofascial pain syndrome, that can affect pain or bowel, bladder or gynecological symptoms, a well-trained therapist may need to treat those areas internally,’ the blurb states. 

‘In addition, there are some joints that at times need to be treated internally. This is a special expertise of well trained musculoskeletal health professionals.’

The book argues that chiropractors, osteopaths or physiotherapists are the best medical professionals to perform these ‘internal treatments’.

Dr Power has been approached for comment. 

His disciplinary orders will be decided at a future hearing.