Dr. Curtis Nelson of Nelson Chiropractic, 16250 NE 80th St. in downtown Redmond, is offering a year of free chiropractic care to U.S. military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a member of the Washington State Chiropractic Association and the International Chiropractors Association, he has volunteered to participate in this “ICA Cares” initiative to help restore the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual heath of these individuals.
“This generation of service personnel has been subjected to unprecedented physical strain and trauma,” Nelson explained.
“Rotations have been longer and repeated. Sometimes they do three or four tours in a row. In prior battles, more people got shot or had amputations. Fewer casualties is good but we are seeing repetitive stress injuries. We always say kids shouldn’t carry backpacks weighing more than 10 percent of their body weight. Often, soldiers are carrying 80 to 100 pounds, more than half their body weight. And they do a lot of sitting in vehicles. Emotional stress takes a physical toll, as well.”
In fact, said Nelson, Army personnel have reported 257,000 acute orthopedic injuries in 2007, up from 247,000 the previous year.
A graduate of the Palmer College, with advanced training in orthopedics, whiplash, spinal trauma, lower back injuries, sports injuries and pediatrics, Nelson specializes in the Activator Method of chiropractic care.
“It is a high-tech, high-touch method, using a scientifically designed instrument and specific tests to determine how and where to make the adjustment, so there is no popping or cracking of the spine,” he said.
Practicing in Redmond for 15 of the last 20 years, Nelson said he treats many people for neck pain because so many sit at computers all day and have poor posture or ergonomics.
Reaching out through the Redmond Reporter and local organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, he said eligible vets may contact his office during regular business hours and schedule an evaluation, including a complete medical history and the nature of their injuries sustained in combat or even before.
“Through a series of exams, we’ll try to find out what’s going on — and can we help?,” Nelson continued. The goal is to design a course of treatment to restore function and alignment to the spine and extremities and provide relief from pain and stress.
Nelson invites all veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to visit his Web site, www.nelsonchiro.com or call his office at (425) 867-1119 for additional information about the free chiropractic care program.
