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This Memorial Day, Ret. Brig. Gen. Becky Halstead, spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, will honor our nation’s veterans and active-duty military by participating in two high-profile media interviews to call attention to the mental and physical strain experienced by members of the U.S. Armed Forces every day.

Gen. Halstead is the first female graduate of the United States Military Academy to be promoted to General Officer and was the first female in U.S. history to command in combat at the strategic level. She has since retired from the Army and has become a fierce advocate for chiropractic care in the military. Gen. Halstead has successfully used chiropractic care to treat chronic fibromyalgia.

Gen. Halstead’s media tour will begin in New York City, where she will appear on Fox & Friends, on FOX News Channel, around 6:30 a.m. (EDT). Afterward, Gen. Halstead will travel to Washington, D.C. for a live interview on The Jim Bohannon Show, broadcast on more than 350 radio stations across the country, during the opening 10 p.m. (EDT) hour. In these interviews, she will discuss the importance of recognizing veterans on Memorial Day and the austere conditions in which members of the military must serve. The first interview will also be featured online at www.foxnews.com/foxfriends/. Those interested in listening to the second interview can find their local station online.

Halstead’s interviews come exactly one week after H.R. 1017, the ‘‘Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act,’’ was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. If enacted into law, this legislation would phase in the expansion of chiropractic care at all major Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. Veterans’ would be able to receive chiropractic care at nearly 160 VA treatment facilities nationwide, a vast increase from the 32 VA treatment facilities offering chiropractic care today.

The legislation was introduced by House VA Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), who has worked closely with The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) in securing support for a number of pro-chiropractic measures. Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-IN) and Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) also supported this legislation.

The importance of chiropractic care for the Armed Forces was underscored by a recent VA report from Feb. 2010, which cites “diseases of Musculoskeletal System/Connective System,” such as back pain, as the number one ailment of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans accessing VA treatment. Chiropractic care has been proven to be a beneficial treatment option for such conditions. In fact, a 2010 study published in Clinical Rehabilitation found that spinal manipulation provided better short and long-term functional improvement and more pain relief in follow-up assessments than other physiotherapy interventions. Furthermore, a 2003 study published in the medical journal Spine found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than a variety of medications.

“Gen. Halstead is one of our nation's heroes and a chiropractic champion,” said ACA President Rick McMichael, DC. “Her personal story, about returning to health and function with chiropractic care, really illustrates how this form of treatment can benefit our service men and women, active duty and veterans. They have given so much for all of us, and we are proud that the chiropractic profession can, in turn, give something back to them.”

A companion bill (S1204) has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. This legislation would also expand access to chiropractic care within the VA system.

The American Chiropractic Association, based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of ethics and patient care, contributing to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients.