A growing number of chiropractors in the United States are answering a call to provide their services for free to returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The idea for free services was initiated in April by a chiropractor in Houston, Texas, and promoted by the International Chiropractors Association (ICA). Very quickly, 70 chiropractors from around the U.S. volunteered their services to be part of the program and the list continues to grow.

Basically, participating chiropractors are volunteering their expertise to help returning veterans for free for a period of one year following their tour of duty. While a limited number of Chiropractic services are provided through the US Department of Defense, volunteers are able to provide immediate treatments. This brings quick relief to individuals who are either being rotated back to the U.S for stateside deployment or returning to civilian life.

Houston chiropractor, Richard J. Kelly is the initiator of what is becoming a nationwide effort to help returning members of our armed services. “Our military, our returning veterans, whether visibly wounded or free of outward symptoms, are coming home changed and need our help as chiropractors,” said Dr. Kelly. He began by offering his services to returning service people in his own practice. He found his work to be very positively received by the veterans as well as gratifying for him to provide.

One of the most common concerns expressed by returning veterans is lower back pain. This would be quite expected considering that ground force members in Iraq frequently carry over 100 pounds of equipment. One helicopter pilot who has done 2 tours of duty in Iraq had this to say about his symptoms. “I definitely have a lot of back pain, lower back especially, and neck pain was the biggest one I noticed.”

While any chiropractor can participate, the ICA is actively promoting the concept of free veterans care to its 8,000-some members. “We want to help volunteer doctors reach out to the returning veteran population in a spirit of service in the most clinically sound, ethically based and timely manner,” said Robert N. Pohtos who is the executive director of the ICA.

The services of a chiropractor often reach beyond the repair of physical injury to help a person restore their lives. What person needs this type of treatment and deserves it more than a veteran returning from the field of battle or who has faced the tribulations of war?

Source: The International Chiropractors Association, “Chiropractic Care for Returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Now Available through Growing Volunteer

DC Network.” http://www.chiropractic.org/files/returning_vets_052708.pdf and Kid Chiropractic. “Chiropractors offer Free Care to Returning US Veterans.” www.kidchiropractic.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 2:54 pm and is filed under Health, Neck Pain, Pain Relief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.