Dr. Robert R. Atnip, the City of Smithville, and DeKalb County are joining chiropractic physicians nationwide this October during National Chiropractic Health Month to help raise awareness of non-drug approaches to pain management in the face of the U.S. opioid epidemic.
The campaign promotes the use of alternative therapies for pain, such as chiropractic services, before turning to opioids and other riskier treatments.
“Chiropractic is an important and effective first line of defense against pain,” says Dr. Atnip. “It’s vital today that patients who are in pain know they have non-drug options.”
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that as many as one in four patients who receive prescription opioids long-term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggles with addiction. In addition, a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that nearly 50 percent of Americans say they personally have known someone who is addicted to prescription painkillers.
Many respected health care organizations now recommend non-drug treatments. Using treatments such as spinal manipulation, chiropractic physicians take a drug-free approach to treating common conditions such as back pain, neck pain and other musculoskeletal disorders. High-quality research has found spinal manipulation to be effective and safe.
Hosted by the American Chiropractic Association, National Chiropractic Health Month (NCHM) is a nationwide observance held each October. The event raises public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic care and its natural, whole-person, patient-centered approach to pain and health and wellness.
Robert R. Atnip, D.C. is a graduate of National College of Chiropractic. He has been in private practice in the Smithville area for more than 44 years. For more information about how D. Atnip can help you achieve better overall health and wellness, please visit ACAtoday.org or www.nuhs.edu or call 615-597-5375.
Last week, DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling and Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss signed proclamations designating October as “National Chiropractic Health Month” in Smithville and DeKalb County. Dr. Atnip and his wife Guylene were on hand for the occasion.
The proclamation is as follows:
“WHEREAS, Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health;
WHEREAS, Chiropractic services are used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs and headaches;
WHEREAS, Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) are physician-level providers who focus on the whole person in their conservative drug-free approach to health care and pain management;
WHEREAS, To date, the failure to adequately address chronic pain in today’s health care system has resulted in unnecessary suffering and an enormous loss of human potential, as well as massive financial and personal costs;
WHEREAS, With the increase in chronic pain, there has been a simultaneous rise in opioid use, which has been associated with adverse outcomes (e.g. addiction, overdose, insufficient pain relief).
WHEREAS, There is a growing body of research that validates the effectiveness of chiropractic services as a first line of defense against pain.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Smithville and DeKalb County officially join with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) in proclaiming the month of October 2016 as National Chiropractic Health Month”.
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