The Spinal Clinic, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, last Saturday, launched the Spinal Awareness Week with a call on Ghanaians to lead a healthy lifestyle. The week is to educate the public on the importance of the spinal cord and to alert them on the serious impact of spinal disability on individuals. Launching the week, the Chief Executive of the Spinal Clinic, Dr Bryan Cox, said the week will also be used to promote a healthy society by providing an alternative to conventional health care and to introduce "Straighten up Ghana". "Straighten up Ghana" is a short spinal health programme designed to help people feel and look better. During the week, too chiropractic doctors (health professional who focus on the spine) from the United States will be available at some selected venues to offer free chiropractic services to the public. The selected venues include the Osu Children’s Home, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Ghana Police Hospital, Burma Camp all in Accra and the Village of Hope at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region. Dr Cox stated that spinal diseases are very difficult to heal, "especially if not reported early for correction by a specialist." He attributed the cause of spinal diseases to people’s poor lifestyle and the nature of their work. "People sit all day without any form of exercise and the chairs they use, on many occasions are not spine friendly," he said. As a result, he said there is the need for a nationwide approach to raise awareness about the prevention of the disease and the promotion of wellness and the importance of good spinal health, "currently missing in the Ghanaian health sector, and also to alert the public about the dangers of spinal health". Source: The Ghanaian Times