Chiropractic Care – An Effective Pain Management Option for Veterans

Chiropractic Care – An Effective Pain Management Option for Veterans

The use of chiropractic care by veterans has increased greatly over the years, which proves its efficacy in treating musculoskeletal issues.

An effective alternative for managing musculoskeletal pain and non-operative neuromuscular conditions, the popularity of chiropractic treatment has soared in recent years with the efforts to reduce opioid addiction. Recent reports indicate increased use of chiropractic services by veterans.

Susceptible to musculoskeletal and neurological injuries, veterans are benefiting from this manipulation technique which restores joint mobility and relieves pain by promoting tissue healing.

How Chiropractic Care Works Chiropractic care is based on the theory that the spine is closely linked to the nervous system. Spine problems can arise from the soft tissues, nerves, or bone and affect the nervous system, causing joint pain and affecting function and mobility. Chiropractors use hands-on techniques to correct spinal misalignments, reduce pressure on the neurological tissues, relieve pain, and improve the person’s health.

Spinal adjustment is used to treat a wide variety of conditions such as lower back pain, leg pain (sciatica), muscle spasm, repetitive strains, headache, pinched nerves, sports injuries, pain from accidents or injury, and arthritic pain. By restoring spinal mobility, the treatment addresses the irritation to the spinal nerve and restores normalcy to the damaged reflexes.

Besides spinal manipulation, chiropractors utilize other non-surgical therapies to treat patients with spinal problems. These include heat and ice application, exercise, massage, and lifestyle counseling.

Veterans’ Use of Chiropractic Services is Increasing, says Study According to a new study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), the official scientific journal of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the use of chiropractic services by veterans has risen considerably over the years. The researchers found that the annual number of patients seen in VA chiropractic clinics increased by 821 percent between 2004 and 2015. Besides the natural growth of chiropractic service since it was implemented onsite in the Department of Veteran Affairs, the study suggests that this positive trend could be the result of the successful performance of VA chiropractors as well as the perceived value of their care by decision-makers.

The high prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions and neurological issues among veterans is attributed to the rigorous nature of their military duties and operations in war-torn countries. A Seattle Times article reported that just walking and wearing heavy gear causes a variety of musculoskeletal injuries in veterans.

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Chiropractic Treatment – A Safe Alternative to Opioid Use With the opioid epidemic gaining alarming proportions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have called for a shift away from opioid use toward non-pharmacologic acute and chronic pain management approaches. This is where chiropractic treatment scores. Safe and effective, this drug-free approach is proving to be a cost-effective option to relieve neuro-musculoskeletal pain, improve mobility and function, restore health, and prevent disease. Chiropractic services are available in leading multispecialty health care centers in New York.

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