How to Obtain a Government Proclamation

A proclamation is a formal announcement made by a state or local government on a topic important to members of that community. Asking your state or local government to issue a proclamation for National Chiropractic Health Month (NCHM) is a great way to raise awareness of chiropractic services and potentially interact with your elected officials.

When you are successful in getting a NCHM proclamation signed by your governor, mayor or other local official, please let the ACA Communications Department know (send photos of the signing, if possible) by emailing us. We will share your news with the rest of the profession via our social media channels!

Note: Sample proclamation text that you can cut and paste into
a document is available at the bottom of this page. 

How do I get started?

1. Start early. It may take some time to go through the proclamation process, so begin at least 4-8 weeks in advance of National Chiropractic Health Month.

2. Identify who handles proclamations in your local city, county or state government offices by looking on city, county and state websites, checking the government pages in the phone book, or by calling the offices. If there is no one who deals exclusively with proclamations, try contacting a public relations or public information officer. An office manager or an office administrator may be able to help, as well.

3. When contacting the proclamations office, be prepared to provide information about the importance of conservative care for people in your area. You can use statistics and information provided in ACA’s sample NCHM proclamation or from ACA’s advocacy, research, and website resources.

Also be sure to ask the right questions:

  • What is the process to obtain a proclamation?
  • Do they want you to draft the proclamation or to do it themselves with information you provide?
  • In what form would they like to receive the proclamation text?
  • Once the proclamation is ready, can you arrange a signing ceremony and invite guests and media?

4. When submitting the required documents to the proclamation office, remember to include the following:

  • A cover letter or email with some facts about chronic pain and the importance of chiropractic care as a way to help people relieve pain, restore function and reduce or eliminate the need for prescription pain medications. Be sure to mention that your clinic/organization will be celebrating National Chiropractic Health Month with the American Chiropractic Association and doctors of chiropractic nationwide. Note that the goal of NCHM is to bring attention to chiropractic’s non-drug approach to pain management, which is especially relevant in the wake of the ongoing opioid crisis in the U.S. Include the date and theme of the proposed proclamation (October; “Chiropractic: Relieve, Restore, Resume”) and your contact information.
  • A draft of the proposed proclamation (see sample text below).

5. Mail, email and/or hand deliver your cover letter and draft proclamation to the office. If you have not heard back from the office after a week, follow up on the status of the proclamation by phone or e-mail.

6. Once the proclamation is signed, pick it up in person if possible, and personally thank the official or staff person who helped you. Or, send a thank you card or email to that person. This may help the process go much quicker next year.

7. If you are able to arrange a signing ceremony, take pictures and send them to the ACA Communications Department. We will share your good news via our social media channels and newsletter!

8. Display the proclamation in your office the entire month of October. In addition to enhancing the credibility of the chiropractic profession and your clinic, the proclamation is another way for you to begin conversations with patients about the importance of chiropractic’s natural, evidence-based, and non-drug approach to health and wellness.

9. Share it on social media! Above all, when you have your proclamation in hand, let the world know by sharing a photo of it on social media and using the hashtag #RelieveRestoreResume to make sure ACA can find and repost it on our social media channels and share it with the entire ACA community!

#RelieveRestoreResume

Sample Proclamation Text:

National Chiropractic Health Month 2023

WHEREAS, About 20 percent of adults in the United States – one in five – experience chronic pain, which is pain lasting more than three months;

WHEREAS, New cases of chronic pain occur more frequently among adults than new cases of other common chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure;

WHEREAS, In the U.S., musculoskeletal conditions – a common cause of chronic pain – result in more than 130 million healthcare visits annually, making them the No. 1 reason people visit their doctors;

WHEREAS, Low back pain, which ranks among the most common forms of chronic pain, has been one of the leading reasons why people are prescribed opioids; and the number of people worldwide living with back pain is projected to increase by 36% to 843 million over the next 30 years;

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four patients who receive prescription opioids long term for non-cancer pain struggle with addiction;

WHEREAS, The American College of Physicians low-back pain treatment guidelines promote the use of noninvasive, non-drug approaches such as spinal manipulation as a first line of defense against back pain, before the use of pain medications and surgery;

WHEREAS, CDC’s 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids promotes “diverse approaches and varied pain management solutions” and specifically encourages use of non-opioid/nonpharmacologic therapies as a first line of treatment against subacute and chronic pain;

WHEREAS, Doctors of chiropractic play a key role in helping patients manage pain and lessen their reliance on prescription pain medications with their evidence-based, patient-centered non-drug approach;

WHEREAS, With the theme “Chiropractic: Relieve, Restore, Resume,” National Chiropractic Health Month 2023 reminds citizens of [insert name of state/city] that non-drug treatments for low back, neck and joint pain, such as spinal manipulation and other chiropractic services, can help relieve pain and restore joint function, helping people to resume their lives and the activities that matter most.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the [state/city] of [insert name of city or state] officially joins with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) in proclaiming the month of October 2023 as National Chiropractic Health Month.

 

Signature: ______________________________________

Date Proclaimed: _______________