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

The spines of our veterans need good care. Veterans need access to chiropractic care - just like their fellow Vancouver chiropractic spine pain patients - and now have it. Vancouver Disc Centers is the Vancouver back pain specialty center for spine pain, back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain relief for Vancouver veterans and Vancouver back pain patients. Vancouver Disc Centers offers relieving Vancouver chiropractic care to any Vancouver back pain patients seeking back pain relief!

WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR SPINES?

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

RELIEF FOR A VETERAN

One military officer who had a 20-year history of mechanical back pain secondary to an injury suffered while on active military duty felt intermittent radiation of numbness and tingling involving the right lower extremity distal to the knee. Chiropractic care afforded him a 25% decrease in low back pain severity and a 22% decrease in his disability. The program of conservative, chiropractic management involved 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 drops in pain and disability would clearly be appreciated by Vancouver back pain sufferers, too.

BENEFICIAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR VETERANS’ SPINES INSTEAD OF OPIOIDS

1999 was the year of the US law empowering the VA to deliver chiropractic care via private sector chiropractors. (5) From 2004 (the year the law was voted for that chiropractic was to be available the VA system) to 2015, annual chiropractic VA patients rose by 821%, chiropractic visits by 694%, number of clinics by 9%, chiropractic employees by 21%. (5) Currently, 70 VA facilities have chiropractors on staff. (1) Nearly 100 VA facilities still have little to none. (2) If a VA facility does not have a chiropractor(s) on staff, veterans (if they ask) are able to obtain a referral to a local chiropractor like yours at Vancouver Disc Centers for care. Many do not know about this benefit or that they can be helped with chiropractic care. Chiropractic as a profession and your Vancouver 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 assist in reducing its effects for military veterans as it does for general population Vancouver pain patients.

ACCESS TO CHIROPRACTIC EXPANDS IN THE U.S.

Chiropractic researchers attempt to ensure that military personnel have access to chiropractic care. One group developed 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 endorsed expansion of chiropractic services in the VA. Availability is to increase to at least two medical centers/clinics in each Veterans Integrated Service Network by December 31, 2019, and be at 50% of them by December 31, 2021. (1) Vancouver Disc Centers is grateful for the confidence in chiropractic care this action shows.

CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers

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 Vancouver chiropractic appointment for yourself or a loved one – military veteran or not. Vancouver Disc Centers is well prepared to help alleviate the musculoskeletal spine pain and back pain conditions of all sorts experienced by military personnel and military veterans with chiropractic care.

Vancouver 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."