Chiropractic care in the Veterans’ Administration healthcare
system is legislated and expanding.
How chiropractic benefits the VA system and its patrons, the veterans, could show
how chiropractic’s inclusion in more healthcare systems may benefit the wider
population. Recent papers feature chiropractic’s
benefits. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic shares these with our
McHenry chiropractic patients who already feel many
of these benefits!
CHRONIC PAIN HELP IN VHA
Non-pharmacological treatment modalities (NPM) are endorsed
via consensus guideline recommendations for chronic pain
management. 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 seek care in the VHA system are excessively
impacted by chronic pain. Chronic pain-afflicted veterans who went to
the VHA for care 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 main 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) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is happy 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
OrthoIllinois Chiropractic hopes to see use of chiropractic services expand. 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 increase
but are low compared to utilization by other US healthcare
chiropractic-using populations. (2) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
is honored to treat a bit larger percentage of McHenry
healthcare seeking patients.
CHIROPRACTIC’S EFFECT ON QUALITY OF LIFE
There is a reason patients look for and
persist in receiving 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 experienced
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 offices everywhere.
Researchers found a statistically significant mean
group difference favoring the usual medical care plus
chiropractic care group versus usual medical care alone. (3) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic witnesses
this, too, and collaborates with medical colleagues to help
our patients.
CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
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 with a herniated disc and
severe low back pain with the Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction System
of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your McHenry
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 McHenry healthcare grows.