Happy October! I say that because it is always a wonderful time of the year. The foliage, the crisp air, and (drum roll please) Chiropractic Awareness Month. The 2016 campaign is the promotion of drug-free options, like chiropractic, in dealing with pain. It is no secret that the use of opioids has increased significantly over the course of the last 10 years. In fact, the CDC has designated the use of opioids as an epidemic. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that 259 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers were written in 2012 alone–enough for each American adult to have a bottle of pills. Research shows that as many as one in four people who receive prescription opioids long term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggles with addiction. Moreover, use of prescription pain medications for common conditions such as back pain and arthritis pain is one of the biggest drivers of opioid addiction in the general population. “It’s important for the public to be aware of non-drug options for treating pain available to them. Chiropractic services and other conservative forms of care are an important first line of defense against musculoskeletal pain and may, in some cases, lessen or eliminate the need for over-the-counter and prescription painkillers,” said American Chiropractic Association (ACA) President David Herd, DC. During the month-long observance, chiropractors nationwide will raise public awareness about pain management options by sharing information about chiropractic’s drug-free approach to treating back pain, neck pain and other musculoskeletal disorders. At Sterling Chiropractic Center, we couldn’t agree more with this year’s ACA pledge.