Oktoberfest
was originally celebrated 200 years ago for the wedding of Bavaria’s Crown
Prince Ludwig and his bride, Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Oktoberfest continues to be celebrated in Germany
and around the world with the parties modeled after the original one. These
celebrations include lots of beer, dancing, music, games, amusement rides, and traditional
foods and clothing. So why am I mentioning Oktoberfest on a PTI blog alongside
of chiropractic?
Drinking too
much, along with some wild dancing may just throw your back out of whack. After
some riotous Oktoberfest celebrations, you may need a chiropractor. Since it is
National Chiropractic Health Month, this is the perfect time to talk about
chiropractic.
Chiropractors
are licensed health care providers who work on the body’s ability to heal
itself through spinal manipulation and other forms of treatment. Chiropractic
is considered complementary and alternative medicine. Chiropractors are not
medical doctors; they cannot prescribe pain pills, nor would they want to. Chiropractic
is a whole person, patient-centered approach.
A
chiropractor will take a health history, perform tests and an exam, perhaps diagnostic
imaging such as x-rays, and develop a management plan for your diagnosis. Spinal
manipulation and other manual therapies to the joints and tissues may be done
and recommended monthly or at other intervals. A chiropractor may also refer to
another appropriate specialist or co-manage with other health care providers.
The
musculoskeletal system (muscles, bones, joints) enables our body’s movements
and what we can and cannot do. If it’s damaged, then so are we. Injuries or
normal aging can be a source of pain, with the most common being low back pain.
Improving our musculoskeletal system helps us to become more active and take
care of those injuries by keeping us strong and stable.
With the
opioid epidemic in the United States, promoting natural healing without the use
of narcotic drugs is a welcome choice. Health insurance is paying for
chiropractic more and more as insurers are looking to chiropractic as an
acceptable form of therapy.
Yes, the
Oktoberfest and chiropractic connection may be a loose one, but I love history
and how we can connect it to the present. As you party for Oktoberfest,
remember that chiropractic is available if you overdo your musculoskeletal system
with those wild, drunken dance moves. Party responsibly.
