Chiropractic Care for the Needy

Chiropractic care is a wonderful healing art & science. The stress and strain of everyday life can accumulate and result in distortion of the vertebral column. Spinal nerves can become hyper-irritated and joints and disks compressed. Besides stiffness, numbness and pain, nerve flow to vital organs can become disrupted, and set the stage for illness and dis-ease. Chiropractic adjustments help to restore alignment of the spine, ease tension and stress on the nervous system and promote overall well-being.

The way our healthcare system operates in the US, many people in need never make it to a chiropractor's office. Chiropractors are seldom seen in public healthcare clinics or hospitals.

People without insurance or the means to pay for chiropractic care seldom receive the benefits that chiropractic care can provide. I believe that this is unfair, so I make a point of volunteering my chiropractic services at certain times of the year to help the needy.

This Easter Sunday I will be joining other chiropractors and scores of other volunteers at the Georgia Dome for Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless Day of Services. Sometimes people ask... "What can one adjustment do?" My answer is, "Always more than none".

Visit www.hoseafeedthehungry.com for more information and how you can provide support.

Homeless on Christmas

Christmas Day 2011. The rain fell and the wind blew. It was bleak. Not the kind of morning that invited being outdoors. Yet men, women and children lined up outside the Georgia World Congress Center. They waited for some warmth, some food and some relief from life on the streets and shelters of downtown Atlanta. I set up my portable chiropractic table inside and waited for them, along side my colleague Winston Carhee, Jr. of Atlanta. We were part of the volunteer chiropractors for Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless.

Homelessness may seem foreign to most of us, but it lingers as a real threat to millions. All it can take is the loss of a job, a broken down vehicle, an illness or a broken family relationship. People that don't have savings or family/friends that can take them in wind up on the street. One young man stood out to me. He was 24 years old, suffered from Bi-Polar Disorder. He got out of prison 3 weeks ago, then got in a car wreck 2 weeks ago. He was hobbling around with pain and muscle spasms. After a brief examination to make sure he didn't have any spinal instability, I gave him his first chiropractic adjustment. Afterwards he smiled, gave me the thumbs-up and said he could walk all day now (which you have to do to keep warm in the wind and the rain).

I felt sad for him, but glad that I was able to make his life a little better. The number one way to help the poor is to make sure that you do not become one of them. The next best way is to be thankful, and extend yourself through your time or financial resources to help bring others up.

What are your ideas on helping the poor and homeless?