Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc 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 wider population. Recent papers highlight chiropractic’s benefits. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc shares these with our Fort Wayne chiropractic patients who already experience 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 incorporation of such NPM except in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) which is a more integrated healthcare system with policies promoting 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 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 integrate the recommended non-pharmacological treatment modalities to help their patients. (1) Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc is excited to see the addition of chiropractic treatment in the VHA to help the many musculoskeletal and chronic pain patients it serves.
HIGHER USE OF CHIROPRACTIC NPM IN VHA BUT USE IS STILL LOW
Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc hopes to see use of chiropractic services expand. From 2005 to 2016 there was a rise in chiropractic care use – part of the VA’s efforts to expand 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) Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc is honored to care for a bit larger proportion of Fort Wayne healthcare seeking patients.
CHIROPRACTIC’S EFFECT ON QUALITY OF LIFE
There is a reason patients look for and continue to receive chiropractic care: they feel 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 practices everywhere. Researchers documented a statistically significant mean group difference favoring the usual medical care plus chiropractic care group versus usual medical care alone. (3) Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc witnesses this, too, and collaborates with medical colleagues to benefit our patients.
CONTACT Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc
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 via the Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Fort Wayne 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 Fort Wayne healthcare grows.
