This month we celebrate National Chiropractic Health Month, a designation set aside to help promote chiropractic health and raise awareness within the public of the many benefits this practice and philosophy can bring.
This year’s theme for National Chiropractic Health Month is “Back to Basics,” focusing on back health and providing tips and strategies for people who suffer from back pain. Throughout the month, we here at Foster Chiropractic will join with the American Chiropractic Association to spread the word about proper back health through tips and exercises, as well as emphasizing the benefits of chiropractic treatment.
While treating pain and discomfort through physical manipulation is a centuries-old practice, it wasn’t until Daniel David Palmer developed the philosophy, art and science of chiropractic care in 1895 that the profession became defined. Since then, the people who choose to study chiropractic care learn many techniques to help patients relieve pain through manipulation, preventative exercises, nutrition and lifestyle counseling, rather than prescriptions or surgery.
There is no better time than now to emphasize the importance of pain treatments that stay away from prescriptions, as our nation faces an opioid epidemic of drug related deaths from both prescription drug abuse and the abuse of heroin. The numbers show just how close to home this crisis hits, as Forsyth County showed the largest percent of increase in opioid related deaths of any metropolitan area in North Carolina in the last 10 years, with 53 reported deaths in 2015.
According to the ACA, “Back pain is one of the most prevalent and disabling conditions worldwide and one of the most common conditions for which doctors prescribe opioid pain medications. As the overuse and abuse of prescription opioid painkillers in the United States remains a top public health problem, it is essential for health care consumers and providers to understand that spinal manipulation and other conservative approaches can treat musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain effectively and safely.”
If you suffer from back aches and pains, we encourage you to call for an appointment here today. Through treatment and rehab, we can help you improve your lifestyle choices and find better health and enjoy all the activities you used to, pain free.
In addition, you can check out the Healthy Back Tips video from the ACA, and pay attention to your posture in everyday life. Whether sitting at a desk, standing in front of a classroom, or using your smartphone, good posture and proper alignment goes a long way in keeping you functioning at top shape and pain free.