October is National Chiropractic Awareness Month and is an excellent time for consumers to learn about chiropractic care and its relationship to the preservation of good health.
With the heightened interest in non-invasive and drug-free approaches, Minnesotans are encouraged to visit their local chiropractor and learn more about how the benefits of chiropractic care may impact their lives. Chiropractic focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the impact these disorders have on general health. Chiropractic care is most often used to treat ailments such as back pain, neck pain, headaches, and pain in the joints of arms or legs.
"More and more people are seeing the value of chiropractic care and adding it their regular health care routine," said
Chiropractic treatment is safe and effective, and is the largest, most regulated, and best recognized of the complementary and alternative medicine professions. To locate a licensed chiropractic professional in your area, visit http://www.mnchiro.com.
About Minnesota Chiropractic Association
Created in 1927, the Minnesota Chiropractic Association is the only professional organization in
FACT SHEET
October is National Chiropractic Month. Here are some interesting facts about this non-invasive and drug-free approach to health care.
-- Chiropractic is the largest, most regulated, and best recognized of the complementary and alternative medicine professions. -- American Chiropractic Association -- Chiropractic does not utilize drugs or surgery. -- A doctor of chiropractic requires a minimum of six years of college and clinic internship before receiving a license, and must pass national and state examinations. -- A study, published by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, has shown chiropractic to be more cost-effective than medical treatment when it comes to chronic low back pain. -- Chiropractic treatment is a covered benefit in many traditional insurance policies. According to some reports, as many as 87 percent of all insured American workers have coverage for chiropractic services in their health care plans. -- American Chiropractic Association -- A major four-year study in the United States, published in the American Medical Association journal The Archives of Internal Medicine, concluded that medical benefit plan members with chiropractic coverage returned to work faster, had lower claim costs and experienced fewer interventions such as MRIs compared to plan members without chiropractic benefits. -- The federal government provides chiropractic benefits for veterans, military personnel and Medicare patients. -- American Chiropractic Association -- A pilot study, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, suggests that chiropractic care may help adults suffering from concentration problems and attention deficit disorder (ADD). -- A Chicago-area study of 50 individuals with misaligned Atlas vertebrae (located high in the neck) documents reduced blood pressure following one specialized chiropractic "adjustment" and continued results after eight weeks. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress points out that these results are equal to taking two blood-pressure drugs simultaneously. CASE STUDY -- 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTIONS Minnesota Viking, Ben Leber
We all want our body's functioning at their best so we can enjoy the various activities in our lives. However, when your body endures the constant pounding experienced by professional football players, keeping it functioning properly and pain free is raised to a completely new level.
Professional football player
"I grew up with chiropractic care from an early age. My mother worked for a chiropractor as an assistant for many years and it was perfectly normal for me as a kid to get weekly adjustments.
"Sometimes I go into a treatment feeling all out of whack and other times I don't have any real pain, but in the end I ALWAYS feel great. I walk away with a feeling of fluidity and a more relaxed state of mind.
"It is impossible to quantify how much chiropractic has helped my quality of life as well as my job. Being a professional football player, I am often sore and banged up and I always turn to chiropractic treatment for help. It is not only good for general body recovery but also it is very injury specific. I turned to chiropractic treatment when I was recovering from a broken foot, a torn knee ligament, a torn shoulder ligament, and I still get treatment on a couple bulging discs in my neck. With each injury, my doctor was able to provide relief from scar tissue, apply modalities to help stimulate bone regeneration and give fascia release where needed. To sum it up, without chiropractic medicine I would not be where I am now.
"As a professional football player, I trust my body to the care of my Chiropractor. To those who haven't experienced chiropractic treatment, I would say, 'if you are looking to enhance your mental and physical well-being, you have to try chiropractic care.' Chiropractic treatment is very much a mainstream practice and it is a very safe and fulfilling service. Think of it as, 'dynamic massage.'
"Chiropractic care will forever be a part of my life and my family's lives. My wife is a huge supporter of it and we currently take our 4-month- old daughter to receive care, and have been since she was a few weeks old. My hope is that I will one day take my grandkids to see their chiropractor."
Ben Leber CASE STUDY -- 2: THE VALUE OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE
Dental hygienist and mother of two,
Marnie decided to see a chiropractor initially for a tennis elbow injury. She explained that she had originally been to an orthopedic surgeon who had given her two shots of cortisone that did not help. Through a casual conversation, someone shared their experience with a chiropractor and recommended that she consider seeing one as well. Marnie says that, "In just a few appointments, my elbow was much better."
"Years later when I started having back and neck pain, I went back to a chiropractor. At the end of my work week, I would feel very tense and pinched in my back and neck. I could not loosen up the stiffness. My first appointment was 1 1/2 hours where the doctor found every little sore spot and tight tissue. I went back one week later so that he could make sure everything was feeling better. In fact I felt so good, I did not return to see him for 8 months.
"Since I have been seeing a chiropractor, he has helped me with everything from plantar fasciitis, breaking up some scar tissue from a surgery and keeping my back and neck loose.
"While I have a general practitioner that I like also, I think we should all explore alternative areas of care. There are so many ways that doctors can work together to heal our bodies, especially without drugs and with more of a mind/body connection.
"Since I work in a health care field that can be hard on my body, chiropractic care has made it possible for me to keep up in my profession for over 24 years. It has also let me keep running which is my preferred form of exercise.
"I would strongly recommended chiropractic care and I know I would not hesitate to see mine for any issue I may be having with my body. Many members of my family are already seeing a chiropractor for many of their health care needs."
Marnie was born and raised in
CONTACT:
612-508-4895
SOURCE Minnesota Chiropractic Association