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Military Personnel Find Relief from More Chiropractic Care Available in the VA

The spines of our veterans need suitable care. Veterans need access to chiropractic care - just like their fellow McHenry chiropractic spine pain patients - and now can get it. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is the McHenry back pain specialty center for spine pain, back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain relief for McHenry veterans and McHenry back pain patients. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic offers relieving McHenry chiropractic care to any McHenry back pain patients seeking back pain relief!

WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR SPINES?

Data from the Veterans’ Administration (VA), “diseases of the musculoskeletal system/connective system” like back pain are the chief problems for veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. (1) To what is it credited? Most of us would assume it is due to carrying weighty backpacks and weapons. (2) One study reports that back pain is found more in military construction and law enforcement personnel. (3)  Causes of back pain for non-military folks like McHenry residents apply to military, too, like injury, posture, daily activity, weight, stress, genetic defects, etc.

RELIEF FOR A VETERAN

One military officer with a 20-year history of mechanical back pain secondary to an injury sustained during active military duty experienced intermittent radiation of numbness and tingling down the right leg to the knee. Chiropractic care provided him a 25% reduction in low back pain severity and a 22% reduction in perceived disability. The program of conservative, chiropractic management incorporated 10 treatments of lumbar flexion/distraction and activity modification over an 8-week period. Despite the fact that he had had this pain for some time, he gained relief. (4) After 20 years, such decreases in pain and disability would clearly be welcomed by McHenry back pain sufferers, too.

BENEFICIAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR VETERANS’ SPINES INSTEAD OF OPIOIDS

1999 marked the year of the US law permitting the VA to offer chiropractic care via private sector chiropractors. (5) From 2004 (the year the law was voted for that chiropractic was to be accessible in the VA system) to 2015, annual chiropractic VA patients grew by 821%, chiropractic visits by 694%, number of clinics by 9%, chiropractic employees by 21%. (5) Recently, 70 VA facilities have chiropractors on staff. (1) Nearly 100 VA facilities still have little to none. (2) If a VA facility doesn’t have a chiropractor(s) on staff, veterans (if they ask) are allowed to obtain a referral to a local chiropractor like yours at OrthoIllinois Chiropractic for care. Many do not know about this perk or that they can benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractic as a profession and your McHenry chiropractic continue to educate the public about how it can help musculoskeletal pain, back pain, sciatica, neck pain and arm radiculopathy, how it can help with pain management. Today, many veterans - like many others in the general population - are struggling with prescription opioid pain drugs. (6) The opioid epidemic is everywhere; chiropractic care may help curb its effects for military veterans as it does for general population McHenry pain patients.

ACCESS TO CHIROPRACTIC EXPANDS IN THE U.S.

Chiropractic researchers attempt to make sure that military personnel have access to chiropractic care. One group created an integrated care pathway for doctors of chiropractic, primary care providers, and mental health professionals who direct the care of veterans with low back pain, with or without mental health comorbidity, within Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities. (7) Recently, the US House approved expansion of chiropractic services in the VA. Availability is to expand to at least 2 medical centers/clinics in each Veterans Integrated Service Network by December 31, 2019, and be at 50% of them by December 31, 2021. (1) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic values the confidence in chiropractic care this action demonstrates.

CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic

Listen to this PODCAST from The Back Doctors’ Podcast about a military veteran with multiple spinal issues whose local chiropractor helped him experience relief.

Schedule a McHenry chiropractic appointment for yourself or a loved one – military veteran or not. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is well prepared to help ease the musculoskeletal spine pain and back pain conditions of all sorts faced by military personnel and military veterans with chiropractic care.

McHenry chiropractic care helps relieve spine pain and back pain for many locals, and its availability for veterans and military personnel increases in the VA to help more.  
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."