Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers Shares Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Chronic Pain in VHA and Beyond
Chiropractic care in the Veterans’ Administration healthcare system is legislated and growing. How chiropractic benefits the VA system and its patrons, the veterans, could demonstrate how chiropractic’s inclusion in more healthcare systems may benefit a larger population. New papers feature chiropractic’s benefits. Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers presents these to our Baton Rouge chiropractic patients who already feel lots of these benefits!
CHRONIC PAIN HELP IN VHA
Non-pharmacological treatment modalities (NPM) are endorsed via consensus guideline recommendations for care of chronic pain. US healthcare systems encounter barriers to such implementation of such NPM except in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) which is a more integrated healthcare system with policies encouraging such NPM. In surveys, the military veteran-patients who look for care in the VHA system are disproportionately impacted by chronic pain. Chronic pain-afflicted veterans who sought care at the VHA in the past year were more likely to receive NPM. Types of NPM offered range from physical therapy, massage, chiropractic/spinal manipulation, psychotherapy, educational classes, peer groups, and yoga/tai chi. The top 3 used by chronic pain veterans were chiropractic care, educational class, or psychotherapy. The VHA policies can help other integrated US healthcare systems add the recommended non-pharmacological treatment modalities to benefit their patients. (1) Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers is excited to see the addition of chiropractic treatment in the VHA to care for the many musculoskeletal and chronic pain patients it serves.
MORE USE OF CHIROPRACTIC NPM IN VHA BUT USE IS STILL LOW
Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers hopes to see use of chiropractic services grow. From 2005 to 2016 there was a rise in use of chiropractic care – part of the VA’s efforts to increase non-pharmacological treatment options open to veterans - in the VA either at on-site VA facilities (1.27% to 1.48%) or from VA-purchased community care providers (0.29% to 1.76%). These numbers did rise but are low compared to utilization by other US healthcare chiropractic-using populations. (2) Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers is honored to treat a bit larger percentage of Baton Rouge healthcare seeking patients.
CHIROPRACTIC’S EFFECT ON QUALITY OF LIFE
There is a reason patients seek out and continue to receive chiropractic care: they feel a difference. A new study focused on how chiropractic care added to usual medical care affected health-related quality of life scores. United States service members at the VHA who underwent combined chiropractic care with usual medical care scored their outcomes in three different questionnaires: PROMIS-29, Roland Morris, and Global Improvement visual analog scale, the same or similar tests used daily in chiropractic practices everywhere. Researchers found a statistically significant mean group difference favoring the usual medical care plus chiropractic care group versus usual medical care alone. (3) Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers sees this, too, and works with medical colleagues to benefit our patients.
CONTACT Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Katrina Weiland on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she discusses treatment of a US Air Force Veteran who has a herniated disc and severe low back pain with the Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction System of Spinal Pain Management.
Set up your Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment soon. Including chiropractic care benefits chronic pain patients whether they have low back, neck, leg, arm or other spine-related pain condition. Chiropractic’s inclusion in Baton Rouge healthcare grows.
