Dr. Shiels Participates in National Opioids Awareness Campaign

Brookfield, WI — Dr. Shiels of Elite Sport & Spine is joining chiropractic physicians nationwide this October during National Chiropractic Health Month. The goal is to raise awareness of non-drug approaches to pain management in the face of the U.S. opioids epidemic.

The campaign promotes the use of alternative therapies for pain, such as chiropractic services, before turning to prescription opioids and other riskier treatments with the hashtag #Chiropractic1st.

“Chiropractic is an important and effective option for those suffering a muscle or joint related injury,” says Dr. Shiels. “It’s vital today that patients who are in pain know they have options other than medication and prolonged rest to return to their activities quickly and safely.”

Statistics from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that as many as one in four patients who receive a prescription opioid for long-term, 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 a prescription opioid or painkillers.

A Changing Tide in the Opioids Epidemic

Many respected health care organizations now recommend non-drug treatments. For example, CDC’s new Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain encourages medical doctors to utilize nonpharmacologic conservative care and to consider non-addictive alternative options. 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 medical 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. To learn more about NCHM, visit www.acatoday.org/NCHM.

Dr. Shiels is the owner and doctor of chiropractic at Elite Sport & Spine in Brookfield, offering chiropractic, physical therapy, dry needling, spine care and sports rehabilitation among other treatments. For more information about how Dr. Shiels or the other chiropractors at Elite Sport & Spine can help you, please visit www.elitesportandspinewi.com or contact 262-373-9168.