Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic Shares Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Chronic Pain in VHA and Beyond
Chiropractic care in the Veterans’ Administration healthcare system is legally called for inclusion 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 larger population. Recent papers feature chiropractic’s benefits. Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic presents these to our Augusta chiropractic patients who already experience lots of these benefits!
CHRONIC PAIN HELP IN VHA
Non-pharmacological treatment modalities (NPM) are promoted in 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 disproportionately impacted by chronic pain. Chronic pain-afflicted veterans who went to the VHA for care in the last 12 months 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 assist other integrated US healthcare systems integrate the recommended non-pharmacological treatment modalities to benefit their patients. (1) Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic 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
Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic hopes to witness 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 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 use by other US healthcare chiropractic-using populations. (2) Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic is honored to care for a bit larger percentage of Augusta 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 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 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 recorded a statistically significant mean group difference favoring the usual medical care plus chiropractic care group versus usual medical care alone. (3) Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic witnesses this, too, and works with medical colleagues to help our patients.
CONTACT Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic
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.
Set up your Augusta chiropractic appointment now. Offering chiropractic care benefits chronic pain patients whether they have low back, neck, leg, arm or other spine-related pain condition. Chiropractic’s inclusion in Augusta healthcare grows.
