October is National Chiropractic Month

National Chiropractic Month is a nationwide campaign spearheaded by the American Chiropractic Association and held each October. This year’s activities will educate consumers about the value of chiropractic and the health care services available through doctors of chiropractic (commonly referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians).

Did you know that doctors of chiropractic most often treat conditions such as: back pain, neck pain, headaches, whiplash, as well as sports and work-related injuries? Did you know that doctors of chiropractic are trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling?

Chiropractic care is an important aspect of today’s health care delivery system and is used by more than 22 million Americans each year. There’s never been a better time to discover how chiropractic can help limit your pain and improve your overall health.

Facts About Chiropractic:

Chiropractic offers a conservative, non-invasive, and preventative approach to health care. As evidence supporting the effectiveness of chiropractic continues to emerge, consumers are turning in record numbers to chiropractic care a non-surgical, drug-free treatment option.

A few interesting facts on this increasingly popular form of health care:

• Chiropractic is the largest, most regulated, and best recognized of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professions. (Meeker, Haldeman; 2002; Annals of Internal Medicine)
• There are more than 60,000 active chiropractic licenses in the United States. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands officially recognize chiropractic as a health care profession.
• According to a study published in the January 2006 issue of the medical journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, approximately 7.4 percent of the population visited a doctor of chiropractic in 2002. In 2002, U.S. adults relied more on the conservative care offered by doctors of chiropractic, than of yoga, massage, acupuncture or other diet-based therapies.
• Doctors of Chiropractic undergo at least four years of professional study at one of 16 chiropractic colleges accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. In addition, Doctors of Chiropractic must pass national board examinations and become state-licensed prior to practicing.
• In national surveys, patients favor chiropractic over medical care for back or neck pain. Patients routinely rate Doctors of Chiropractic highly in skill, manner, and explanation of treatment.
• Chiropractic treatment is a covered benefit in many traditional insurance policies. In fact, according to some reports, as many as 87 percent of all insured American workers have coverage for chiropractic services in their health care plans.
• Chiropractic care is achieving more and more integration into today’s health care system. Just a few notable examples of chiropractic integration include the chiropractic department at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., the successful Complementary and Alternative Medicine Center at the National Institutes of Health, and the doctors of chiropractic who work as consultants to the Office of the Attending Physician at the U.S. Capitol Building. Furthermore, the federal government provides chiropractic benefits for veterans, military personnel and Medicare patients.

Source: American Chiropractic Association.