To Your Health August, 2020 (Vol. 14, Issue 08)

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Why Generation Z and Chiropractic Are a Perfect Fit

By Editorial Staff

Sometimes Generation Z – adults ages 18-24 – seems like it has it all ... everything the rest of us used to enjoy. Health is a big one, of course; how many times did you go to the doctor when you were that age? But scratch below the surface and you'll find that Gen Zers have some of the same health issues and needs as people in any other age group.

Case in point: new survey findings that reveal many Gen Zers experience chronic pain at a young age and are open to drug-free pain management, including chiropractic. Here are some of the key findings from the survey:

• "When asked about their neck, shoulder and back pain, 18% of survey participants reported they first felt pain before the age of 10; 36% between the ages of 11 and 15 and 37% first felt discomfort between the ages of 16 and 20."
• "More than half (54%) of respondents classified their risk for persistent pain as ‘medium.' Meanwhile, only 36% of survey respondents said their chronic pain is improving while the remainder reported it is getting worse (36%) or staying the same (28%)."
• "[N]early three-quarters (73%) of Generation Z survey respondents reported their chronic pain was caused by their sleep position, followed by sports or exercise (45%) and carrying a heavy bag (39%)."
• "[M]ore than 63% of survey respondents reported being ‘somewhat' or ‘very' interested in chiropractic care while 17% have already received such care."
• "Nearly 64% stated they believe chiropractic care should be covered by insurers, followed by physical therapy (61%); and massage, cupping, reiki and reflexology (50%)."
• "Nearly 31% of survey respondents stated the efficacy of drug-free, natural pain management methods was a more important deciding factor than cost (24%) and convenience (20%)."

"Younger Americans seem to be recognizing that pharmacological pain management methods alone deliver only short-term relief without addressing the underlying causes of chronic neuromusculoskeletal pain that can often start at an early age," said Dr. Sherry McAllister, executive vice president of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a nonprofit chiropractic organization that conducted the survey.

The moral to this story: Whether you're young, old or any age in between, you need chiropractic! With chronic pain at an all-time high during the pandemic and the public increasingly wary of vaccines and other medication, what better time for Generation Zers – and any other Generation, for that matter – to embrace chiropractic?