October is National Chiropractic Health Month. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) incorporates an annual theme. This year’s theme is “Strength. Stability. Success”. It focuses on “how musculoskeletal (MSK) health leads to strength, stability and ultimately the success of a life lived more fully and actively.”
Why Devote a Month to Chiropractic Health?
There are a few good reasons why it is important to highlight Chiropractic Health.
- Chiropractic is a drug-free, non-surgical alternative to relieve back pain. There is growing evidence that opioids may be less effective than chiropractic treatment.
- Back pain is a significant drain on the U.S. economy mostly due to lowered productivity and lost wages. Chiropractic treatment gets people back to work faster.
- It’s a great way to support the professionals that dedicate themselves to the overall health and well-being of their patients.
What is Musculoskeletal Health?
The musculoskeletal system is comprised of bones, cartilage, skeletal muscles, and connective tissues. Chiropractic treats issues with the musculoskeletal system, mainly focusing on the back and spine.
A Brief History of Chiropractic
For a more comprehensive look at chiropractic’s journey over the years, visit chiroone.net Here are a few highlights:
- There are text reports dating back to ancient times as far back as 3000 BC that suggest forms of chiropractic were practiced. In fact, there is a famous quote from Hippocrates (460 to 357 B.C.), who is considered the father of Greek medicine, that reads, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.”
- Daniel David (D.D.) Palmer is widely regarded as the father of modern chiropractic. He performed his first chiropractic treatment in 1895 on a man who had issues with his hearing. The man attributed the treatment to helping with his issues.
- The term chiropractic, declared in 1896 by D.D. Palmer, is a combination of Greek words cheiros and praktikos; meaning “done by hand.”
- In 1896, D.D. Palmer opened a chiropractic school that is still servicing the community today. The original name of the school was the Palmer School of Chiropractic and is today the Palmer College of Chiropractic.
- Palmer’s son took over in 1904 and is referred to as the “developer” of chiropractic.
- The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) was officially formed in 1922.
- In 1963, the U.S. National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) was organized to ensure consistency across state examining boards.
- The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) was formed in 1988.
- In 1997, the WFC was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and admitted into official relations.
- Chiropractic care and services were brought into the United States’ military health system by the U.S. Congress in 2002.
- Most recently in 2017, the American College of Physicians released new guidelines for the treatment of low back pain, recommending gentle, non-drug treatments, like chiropractic, first.
Total Chiropractic Care & Wellness
Total Chiropractic Care & Wellness of Medford provides many services aimed to promote musculoskeletal health. We strive to ease back pain, suffering, and help people make the healthiest lifestyle choices possible. We wish all of our patients strength, stability, and success. Call today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Goldman or contact us online.