Oktoberfest and Chiropractic

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.

www.acatoday.org/nchm