Statewide, chiropractors have begun taking a crack at helping veterans through the “Healing Hands 4 Heroes” program.
Steven Dickert, D.C., based in Dayton, has decided to join them by stepping up to the table now, too.
Dickert, through the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors [ANJC], is teaming with Army OneSource, a U.S. Army Community outreach program and the Army Community Covenant to raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by servicemen and women and their families and to help them by offering 60 days of free chiropractic care.
“It’s my way of giving back to these people who put their life on the line to save us,” Dickert said.
The ANJC instituted the program in April at its annual spring convention. ANJC Executive Director Sig Miller brought the program back to the state after learning about it at the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations conference.
A covenant was then signed, allowing any of the ANJC’s 1,900 members to participate in the nationwide program.
The group chose to work with the program, ANJC member Michael Kirk said, because of its distinctive position when it comes to musculoskeletal pain, the No. 1 complaint of returning military personnel.
“Who better than a chiropractor to take care of musculoskeletal complaints?” Kirk asked.
Aside from spreading awareness of the stresses and issues military personnel must contend with, there is also an educational portion for ANJC members.
“The Community Covenant formally commits theANJC to treating returning veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars as part of the ‘Healing Hands 4 Heroes’ program,” the ANJC wrote in a statement. “This program allows chiropractors to learn about the stresses and challenges our Service Members and their Families are facing as a result of multiple deployments. These online Continuing Education Units (CEU) courses entitled ‘Treating the Invisible Wounds of War’ have been developed and are currently being taken by ANJC members.” “By teaming up with Army One- Source, the U.S. Army’s community outreach program, we’re going to be assisting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as they come back dealing with the everyday challenges and stresses of life. The continuing education component that is part of Healing Hands 4 Heroes will give our doctors unique insights into the unique challenges and stresses our service members and their families face,” Dickert said.
Without proper access to chiropractic care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, the ANJC felt moved to work to ease that burden for veterans.
“Our organization felt that it was the least we could do for our troops,” Kirk said.
Through this program, military personnel are guaranteed chiropractic care for free for a minimum of 60 days.
For more information, visit the ANJC website at www.njchiropractors.com. Contact Sam Slaughter at [email protected].