Florida Congressmen Team Up to Make February National Spine Ability Month

Two congressmen from Florida--Republican Tom Rooney and Democrat Patrick Murphy--teamed up on Friday to call for  February to be designated as "National Spine Ability Month." 

"Unfortunately, spine impairment is all too common in the United States – especially among our nation's veterans," Murphy said.  "With prevention, diagnostic, therapeutic, and ergonomic interventions, it does not have to lead to disability and we can reduce the impact these injuries have on individuals' quality of life. I thank my friend Congressman Rooney for his support in raising awareness of spine impairment through the designation of a National Spine Ability Month."

"I’m pleased to join my friend Congressman Murphy in introducing legislation that would designate February as National Spine Ability Month,” Rooney said. “I have long supported the excellent work of Florida’s medical and research communities that work tirelessly with individuals suffering from spine-related injuries. By designating February as National Spine Ability Month, we can help raise awareness of spinal cord injuries and increase nationwide support for research leading to a cure.”

"The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Burden of Disease Study revealed that spinal disorders are the number one  cause of disability worldwide, and especially in the United States," said Michael Reed, the executive director of the North American Spine Foundation.  "These spine impairments negatively impact patients, their families, employers, and every taxpayer. If we can just affect a 10 percent reduction in spine-related disability by 2025, we can help millions of people and reduce our annual costs by over $20B. That is our goal in the Spine 10 x 25 initiative and we are very proud to have the support and encouragement of Congressmen Murphy and Rooney in this important national imperative." 

More than 14 million Americans have spine-related disabilities. That disability is the leading disability among veterans.