National Chiropractic Health Month

October 14, 2010
by: Jim Payseur

October brings pumpkins, candy, tree colors, and chiropractic. It may not seem to fit in like the other three, but chiropractic has its own belonging to this month.

In September, I encouraged the readers of the Spine-health blog to participate in some way for Pain Awareness Month. Now in October, I’m going to focus on sharing what I have done. I still encourage participation in this month, I just won’t be writing about it.

October is National Chiropractic Health Month, so I decided to learn more about chiropractic care and gather a few good bits to share with all of you. This month is being promoted by the American Chiropractic Association as a time for chiropractors to help people learn more about chiropractic care and this year is also focusing on healthy living and obesity. The slogan is "Why Weight? Get Healthy!"

What I learned and what you may not know about chiropractic

• Chiropractors are not what most of Western society would call doctors. They don't wear stethoscopes, but that's not what I mean. First of all, a chiropractor is a doctor. They complete and undergraduate program then fulfill the requirements of a Chiropractic College where they study biology, anatomy, emergency medical response, and the trade of chiropractic. The reason why most people would not consider a chiropractor a doctor is because they don't try to cure illness or disease. The goal of chiropractic is to allow the body to heal itself and remove any problems that might be slowing down the natural healing process. Plus, they don't wear stethoscopes.
• Chiropractors are concerned with whole body health. Many in the profession teach exercises to their patients and offer nutrition advice. It makes sense they are focused on obesity this year during Chiropractic Health Month. I also thought it smart to be proactive about obesity right before Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, when many people gain weight.
• Nutrition is additionally important for conditions such as Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis. Browse more information in the Nutrition, Diet, and Weight Loss Health Center.
• The other tie between chiropractic and obesity or being overweight is some people have too much pain to be physically active. Many people find chiropractic treatments allow them to return to a more active lifestyle and avoid or reverse weight gain.
• October used to be Spinal Health Month and May was Correct Posture Month until 2006 when they were combined into Chiropractic Health Month only in October. The month is a celebration for the profession where they promote knowledge about their services and healthy living.

If you want to learn more about chiropractic care, visit the Chiropractic Health Center. You can also use the Spine-health doctor directory to find a chiropractor near you.