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 a wider
population. Recent papers highlight chiropractic’s
benefits. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation shares these with our
Carrolltown 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 care of chronic pain. US healthcare systems face
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 disproportionately
impacted by chronic pain. Chronic pain-afflicted veterans who sought care at the VHA in the past year
were more likely to get 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) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is excited to see the inclusion
of chiropractic treatment in the VHA to help the many
musculoskeletal and chronic pain patients it serves.
MORE USE OF CHIROPRACTIC NPM IN VHA BUT USE IS STILL
LOW
Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation hopes to see use of chiropractic services expand. From 2005 to 2016 there was an increase in chiropractic
care use – part of the VA’s efforts to increase
non-pharmacological treatment options available 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 use by other US healthcare
chiropractic-using populations. (2) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
is honored to care for a bit larger percentage of Carrolltown
healthcare seeking patients.
CHIROPRACTIC’S EFFECT ON QUALITY OF LIFE
There is a reason patients seek out and
continue to receive chiropractic care: they notice
a difference. A recent 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 rated 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 in favor of the usual medical care plus
chiropractic care group versus usual medical care alone. (3) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation witnesses
this, too, and collaborates with medical colleagues to help
our patients.
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Katrina Weiland on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes
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.
Schedule your Carrolltown
chiropractic appointment today. 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 Carrolltown healthcare grows.