National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) is proud to be the official chiropractic partner for the 2010 Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day for the Cure event to be held August 6 – 8. National will send a sports medicine team of 4 faculty clinicians and 17 interns who will provide direct patient care in the event’s sports medicine tent. The team will treat walkers as well as event staff and crew members.

“This is the second year we are the official chiropractic partner,” says team captain Patricia Coe, DC. “Last year we treated over 450 people with back pain, ankle and knee injuries, strains, sprains, and muscle pulls. We also provide Kinesio Taping, and Kinesio USA has traditionally donated pink tape for our use at the event.”

“Our team helps triage each patient who enters, sending them for the appropriate care. We share the sports medicine tent with a team of physical therapists as well. We are also located next to a station equipped with an ambulance and MD care for walkers who may be suffering from heat stroke, dehydration or who need hospitalization,” says Coe.

The NUHS team attends opening ceremonies and then sets up equipment in the tent. They treat patients from 1pm until 9pm, and then sleep onsite. They are up again on day two, treating walkers at 6am before the walkers head out for the day, and then open the tent again from 1pm until 9pm. They are also available Sunday morning to treat walkers before they leave, and then head downtown to Soldier Field for the closing ceremonies.

Dr. Coe says that this type of event not only provides students at National with hands-on experience in sports medicine and an opportunity to contribute their skills to a worthwhile cause, it also provides an opportunity for working together with teams of other medical specialists, giving interns a first hand experience in integrative medicine.

The NUHS team will also include two chiropractic physicians, Dr. Brett Martin and Dr. Roy Settergren, who have recently graduated from NUHS, but who volunteered at the event last year as student interns.

Dr. Settergren says, “It’s an experience where I meet people that have dealt with cancer or are dealing with cancer and you can see that it gives them a strength that you rarely see in people. It gives you a good feeling and outlook about life. You realize that if they can get through what they’re going through, you can get through whatever you need to get through. You meet all these people and hear their stories and come out with this sense that life is truly good.”

For more information on the 2010 Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day for the Cure event, or to support similar events in your area, visit http://www.the3day.org.