article archive
October 2006
World Spine Day set for Oct.
16
October 16 will be a special day ‑‑ one on which
the chiropractic profession and Straighten Up America celebrate
World Spine Day/National Spinal Health Day. Several years
ago the International Bone and Joint Decade initiated World
Spine Day to call attention to the burden of spinal disability
during the Decade's National Action Week.
This year, World Spine
Day in America features Straighten Up America as its theme and, thanks to
a special program spearheaded by Life University. According
to Dr. Ron Kirk, Life University faculty member and facilitator
of the multidisciplinary Seed and Delphi panels, which created
Straighten Up, explained, "Straighten
Up America is very simple. We envision a time when every
American will take two or three minutes every day to care
for their spinal health, just as they care for their dental
health. The need for spinal health promotion is very great
as evidenced by the billions of dollars spent each year
related to spinal disabilities. Yet before now, there had
not been a short, simple spinal exercise program designed
to promote the public's spinal health."
Doctors are encouraged
to get involved with public outreach educational events to
empower their communities by teaching patients, school children,
civic organizations, corporations, faith congregations and
others simple enjoyable exercises to improve their spinal health.
Straighten
Up is a natural fit for nationally mandated wellness programs,
designed to increase students' activity and fitness levels
in schools across the nation. Schools are currently searching
for activity‑based programs.
Though still in its infancy
as a health initiative, Straighten Up has garnered a number
of accolades from health and fitness leaders including Lee
Haney, past chairman of the US Presidents Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports. Lee describes the program as "awesome" with "vision and much
promise." In Jan. 2005, Tommy Thompson, then US Secretary
of Health and Human Services, commended the individuals who
developed Straighten Up for their "leadership in the
field of spinal health."
Straighten Up is endorsed by the
World Chiropractic Association, which has published several
articles on the initiative in The Chiropractic Journal during
the past several months. The International Chiropractors Association,
the Congress of Chiropractic State Organizations, and the American
Chiropractic Association are also supporting the effort.
Complete
program information and resources, including a PowerPoint presentation
and patient information material can be found on the Life University
website, www.life.edu.