Johnson Chiropractic Shares Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Chronic Pain in VHA and Beyond
Chiropractic care in the Veterans’ Administration healthcare system is legislated and expanding. 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. New papers highlight chiropractic’s benefits. Johnson Chiropractic shares these with our Richmond 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 confront 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 excessively impacted by chronic pain. Chronic pain-afflicted veterans who sought care at the VHA in the last 12 months were more likely to get NPM. Types of NPM available 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 incorporate the recommended non-pharmacological treatment modalities to help their patients. (1) Johnson Chiropractic is happy 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
Johnson Chiropractic 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 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) Johnson Chiropractic is honored to care for a bit larger proportion of Richmond healthcare seeking patients.
CHIROPRACTIC’S EFFECT ON QUALITY OF LIFE
There is a reason patients seek out and continue to receive chiropractic care: they feel a difference. A new study focused on how chiropractic care enhanced 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 comparable tests used daily in chiropractic practices everywhere. Researchers recorded a statistically significant mean group difference in favor of the usual medical care plus chiropractic care group versus usual medical care alone. (3) Johnson Chiropractic witnesses this, too, and collaborates with medical colleagues to help our patients.
CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic
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 who has a herniated disc and severe low back pain via the Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Richmond 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 Richmond healthcare grows.
