Healing Through Chiropractic at City Mission

Six years ago, Dr. Christopher Carr, Clinic Director for Pittsburgh Chiropractic and Wellness in McMurray, began volunteering at City Mission,providing chiropractic care to the residents and staff.  “I’ve always wanted to work behind the scenes and be a small part of something large. I saw a need in this area, and this is my way of giving back,” he said.

Many City Mission residents suffer from chronic pain and have turned to opioids and other pain-relieving drugs in the past.  For many, this led them down the path of addiction and eventual homelessness.  “Chiropractic has been proven to be one of the safest alternatives to decrease pain naturally, without drugs or surgery” he explained.  Dr. Carr, who was last year’s recipient of City Mission’s Volunteer of the Year Award, saw the potential for chiropractic services to not only relieve the pain of City Mission residents but potentially change their lives.  “I was looking to do chiropractic mission work in other countries prior to finding a need in my area,” he said.  “I feel like I’m on a mission in my own neighborhood.” 

When the fire of 2015 destroyed City Mission’s medical center, Dr. Carr continued to work for two years out of a closet, because he could see the impact of his services firsthand.  “A lot of people here are suffering,” he said.  “But we’re helping them improve physically.  We are offering a drug-free alternative to improving their health.   We find that when this happens and symptoms are reduced, they have more energy and are able to function in their day-to-day life with a lesser degree of pain.”

When City Mission built the new Medical Center in 2018, Dr. Carr had an idea to expand the drug-free pain management services offered at the Mission,incorporating chiropractic along with other forms of rehabilitation to provide a drug-free pain management clinic for the residents as an alternative to pain-relieving medications.

Shortly after the new Medical Center was up and running, Dr. George Khoury of Cecil Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, joined the team as a volunteer.  “My passion is to help improve lives through chiropractic,” said Dr. Khoury.

“I’m trying to introduce chiropractic as part of the solution to the opioid epidemic,” he continued.  “And I was thinking it would be nice to have a clinic somewhere where we could provide this care to control pain without opioids.  I was trying to start a clinic, but then I found out that Dr. Carr had already started one here at City Mission.”

Since joining the pain clinic, Dr. Khoury is seeing enormous impact on the residents he treats.  “That’s what’s awesome about what we do here,” he said. “We see drastic improvements immediately.  They feel better by the time they walk out the door.  We can help them reduce pain immediately without drugs.”

Chiropractic services and other non-pharmacological pain treatments are becoming far more common since the opioid crisis has ruined so many lives.  Several states, including West Virginia and Vermont, have instituted state regulations that require non-opioid pain treatments before opioids can legally be prescribed. 

“You can’t have a chemical cure to a physical problem,” said Dr. Khoury.  “Drugs just deaden the brain from feeling the pain.  Chiropractic services allow you to address the physical defects that cause the pain.  When you do that, the pain goes away.  We can help you get rid of the pain and prevent it from coming back.”

In addition to relieving pain, chiropractic services also help to improve overall health.  Chiropractic adjustments release muscle tension, soothe irritated spinal nerves, and improve blood circulation.  They can positively effect mood,relieve insomnia, and improve self-image.

The two chiropractors provide services twice a month for City Mission residents, and together, they treat more than 50 residents and staff each month, offering free treatments to those who would not otherwise be able to afford it.

“Chiropractic is a self-healing approach,” Dr. Khoury explained.  “Our goal is to give you the tools to help yourself.  And that’s the overall mission of City Mission.  We are an integral part of that.”