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

The spines of our veterans need beneficial care. Veterans need access to chiropractic care - just like their fellow Richmond chiropractic spine pain patients - and now can get it. Johnson Chiropractic is the Richmond back pain specialty center for spine pain, back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain relief for Richmond veterans and Richmond back pain patients. Johnson Chiropractic offers relieving Richmond chiropractic care to any Richmond back pain patients wanting 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 foremost issues for veterans coming back from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. (1) To what is it credited? Most of us would think it’s due to carrying heavy backpacks and weapons. (2) One study points out that back pain is reported more by military construction and law enforcement personnel. (3)  Reason for back pain for non-military folks like Richmond 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 incurred while on active military duty felt intermittent radiation of numbness and tingling involving the right lower extremity distal to the knee. Chiropractic care provided him a 25% reduction in low back pain severity and a 22% reduction in his disability. The course of conservative, chiropractic management involved 10 treatments of lumbar flexion/distraction and activity modification in 8 weeks. Even though he’d had this pain a long time, he realized relief. (4) After 20 years, such reductions in pain and disability would clearly be welcomed by Richmond 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 provide chiropractic care via private sector chiropractors. (5) From 2004 (the year the law was passed that chiropractic was to be available the VA system) to 2015, annual chiropractic VA patients increased 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 no availability. (2) If a VA facility does not have a chiropractor(s) on staff, veterans (if they ask) are able to get a referral to a local chiropractor like yours at Johnson Chiropractic for care. Many don’t know about this option or that they can benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractic as a profession and your Richmond chiropractic persist in trying to get the word out to 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 having issues 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 Richmond pain patients.

ACCESS TO CHIROPRACTIC EXPANDS IN THE U.S.

Chiropractic researchers try to ensure that military personnel have access to chiropractic care. One group created an integrated care pathway for doctors of chiropractic, primary care providers, and mental health professionals who manage 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 sanctioned 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) Johnson Chiropractic welcomes the confidence in chiropractic care this action demonstrates.

CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic

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

Richmond 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."