Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office 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 the wider population. Recent papers feature chiropractic’s benefits. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office presents these to our Groton 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 confront barriers to such incorporation 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 look for care in the VHA system are disproportionately impacted by chronic pain. Chronic pain-afflicted veterans who sought care at the VHA in the last 12 months were more likely to receive NPM. Types of NPM available range from physical therapy, massage, chiropractic/spinal manipulation, psychotherapy, educational classes, peer groups, and yoga/tai chi. The main 3 used by chronic pain veterans were chiropractic care, educational class, or psychotherapy. The VHA policies can assist other integrated US healthcare systems incorporate the recommended non-pharmacological treatment modalities to benefit their patients. (1) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is excited to see the inclusion of chiropractic treatment in the VHA to care for the many musculoskeletal and chronic pain patients it serves.
MORE USE OF CHIROPRACTIC NPM IN VHA BUT USE IS STILL LOW
Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office hopes to see use of chiropractic services grow. From 2005 to 2016 there was an increase in chiropractic care use – part of the VA’s efforts to expand 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 rise but are low compared to utilization by other US healthcare chiropractic-using populations. (2) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is honored to treat a bit larger proportion of Groton 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 influenced health-related quality of life scores. United States service members at the VHA who underwent combined chiropractic care with usual medical care scored their outcomes in a variety of questionnaires: PROMIS-29, Roland Morris, and Global Improvement visual analog scale, the same or similar tests used daily in chiropractic offices everywhere. Researchers documented a statistically significant mean group difference in favor of the usual medical care plus chiropractic care group versus usual medical care alone. (3) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office witnesses this, too, and collaborates with medical colleagues to benefit our patients.
CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
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 with the Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Groton 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 Groton healthcare grows.
