Chiropractic care for military Veterans with service-related musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) is safe, non-invasive, and drug-free and can provide considerable relief from chronic pain. 

Learn more about MSIs, along with other challenges many Veterans experience, including psychological barriers to care. You’ll also get guidance on using military healthcare benefits for chiropractic treatment.     

Why Some Veterans’ MSIs Go Untreated 

Military Veterans have significantly more MSIs on average than civilians. Estimates for the percentage of Veterans reporting musculoskeletal conditions range as high as 50–70% with estimates for civilians at about 20 – 30%. 

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), musculoskeletal injuries are the main reason Veterans seek treatment at the VA. These injuries stem from factors such as heavy lifting, repetitive motion, high-impact activities, and unpredictable terrain, and they can involve the neck, back, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. 

Whether active duty, Veteran, or retired, those who serve or have served are also more likely than their civilian counterparts to refuse treatment for their injuries. The reasons include fear of judgment, job/career repercussions, the belief that they can tough it out, and the notion that they shouldn’t “bother” healthcare providers and “take up space” in the medical system when others’ pain is worse. 

These perceptions are not only psychological barriers to treatment, they can drive physical and mental deterioration, creating a cycle in which pain and psychological issues feed and worsen one another. 

When the body is in pain, the brain responds as if it is under attack and releases stress hormones, including adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. These hormones are designed in part for the fight-or-flight response. Besides hyperfocus and feelings of fear, too much of these hormones, as we see in cases of chronic pain, can cause weight gain, lowered immunity, and memory problems. 

Pain can also upset sleep patterns, which is another contributor to slower mental processes and worsened depression and anxiety. 

Chiropractic Care Can Improve Veterans’ Lives 

For Veterans with musculoskeletal pain or injuries – whether from active duty, training, or other service-related activities, chiropractic care is often an effective treatment choice. 

Stunningly, 65% of Veterans treated by chiropractors report significantly less pain. Opioid overuse is a risk that Veterans are especially vulnerable to, but according to the Journal of Pain Research, the need for opioids drops by about 32% with chiropractic care.  

As pain eases and patients feel better, they often increase their physical activity, which releases the body’s own pain relievers, endorphins. Endorphins, also known as “feel-good” hormones, promote feelings of happiness and well-being. As mental and emotional health improves, neglected family and social relationships are often revived. 

Chiropractic treatments, including manual spinal adjustments, stretching, and targeted exercises, are drug-free and non-invasive, so healing occurs naturally. Chiropractic also helps prevent further injury. Besides pain relief and injury stabilization, patients often see other improvements that include:  

• Better balance and flexibility 
• Healthier nerves and soft tissues
• Improved mobility and range of motion
• Reduced joint stiffness
• Stronger muscles 

The VA and its medical arm, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), offer chiropractic care, and their healthcare coverage typically includes copays. Generally speaking, for the VA to pay for chiropractic care, musculoskeletal injuries and related pain must be service-related. 

This means that the condition or injury must have either happened while in the service or been aggravated by military service. However, in some cases, those with non-service-connected conditions may be eligible for chiropractic care and possibly under different requirements. Veterans will need a referral from their VA primary care physician (PCP), a standard procedure designed to ensure that care is coordinated and appropriate for the patient’s specific needs. PCPs help Veterans understand their injuries and whether chiropractic care is best for their MSI. 

In cases of significant travel issues, staff availability, excessive wait times, and certain health conditions, the VA can arrange private, out-of-network care through its Community Care Program. But everything starts with that first call to a VA PCP.

Conclusion

For Veterans living with chronic pain from MSIs, seeking chiropractic care within the VA system, including its Community Care Program, could result in long-term improvement that includes a more pain-free, active, and enriched life. 

Read about some of the Veterans F4CP President, Dr. Sherry McAllister, has been privileged to treat and the healing she has witnessed.

Many people sustain a lifetime’s worth of microtraumas without ever encountering the word, microtrauma. These injuries can be so slight that they go unnoticed, and they involve areas that include joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and sometimes bone. 

Over time, like a tower of blocks, microtraumas can build one on top of another until the tower crashes, resulting in a stress injury. 

Stress injuries include musculoskeletal and bone damage from excessive activity or force. A type of stress injury is “repetitive strain” or repetitive stress injury (RSI). It is caused by repeated motion and overuse of soft tissue, such as muscles, nerves, and tendons. Repetitive strain and RSIs can affect hands, shoulders, backs, and knees, often leading to chronic conditions. 

Common RSIs include: 

• Bursitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Stress fracture
• Tendinitis
• Tennis elbow
• Trigger finger/trigger thumb

Lifestyles dominated by smartphones, laptops, desktops, and video games, combined with subpar ergonomics and a tendency to dismiss or push through pain, are behind many of today’s microtraumas. 

According to a recent report by the Entertainment Software Association, 212.6 million Americans play video games weekly. Gaming is an activity closely connected to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome and other health conditions. 

Specific Health Conditions Caused by RSIs

Let’s examine microtraumas in relation to the following RSIs: carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, and tendinitis. 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The wrist’s carpal tunnel contains ligaments and bones through which the median nerve passes. Stress on this nerve causes pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hands and wrists. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by cooking, gaming, texting and typing. 

Preventions include correct posture and wrist position, healthful ergonomics, stretching and rest. Treatment sometimes requires splints.    

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by tasks such as typing, woodworking, playing musical instruments, cooking, and even drawing, and it is a major source of workplace injuries. A recent article from the Society for Human Resource Management said ergonomic injuries rank second on the list of top five office hazards. According to the Entertainment Software Association, 65% of Americans play video games every week. 

Bursitis

Bursae are sacs of fluid that help joints move smoothly. When a bursa becomes inflamed, it results in bursitis, commonly affecting shoulders, elbows, and hips. A baseball pitcher might develop shoulder bursitis, whereas a catcher might have knee bursitis. 

Rest, ergonomics, stretches, and targeted exercise prevent bursitis and are also among its treatments. 

Tendinitis 

Tendons are tissues that hold muscle and bone together. Factors including overuse and RSIs cause tendinitis, with pain and impediments to mobility. Tendinitis is often associated with sports, including tennis and swimming, and with repetitive tasks, such as assembly line work. Improper lifting, insufficient conditioning, overuse, and poor spinal alignment/posture are also factors. 

Prevention includes warmups, adequate breaks, proper technique and effective ergonomics. Strengthening muscle, managing diabetes and arthritis, and the right footwear can also help. Treatment may include applied heat and in rare instances, patients undergo surgery. 

Stress Fracture

Stress fractures are tiny bone cracks, usually in the legs and feet. Stress fractures are more likely when the body lacks time to replenish bone tissue. Proper footwear, correct technique in dancing and sports, and good posture are important.

Chiropractic care, physical therapy, and sometimes occupational therapy can be effective. All are holistic and noninvasive, meaning they consider the whole person and their living circumstances when treating patients, and treatments are nonsurgical. These practitioners know how to avoid microtrauma and can identify posture problems, musculoskeletal issues, and soft tissue injuries. 

Often, the body warns us, with aches, pains, and pings, that damage is occurring. Dismissing them as “no big deal” or just part of the process can make matters worse. 

In All Things, Balance

Full recovery from an RSI is possible depending on factors such as the type and seriousness of the injury and the amount of time without treatment. Prompt treatment also increases the likelihood that conditions will be successfully managed if they become chronic. 

We’ve seen how lifestyles such as manual labor can dramatically alter the appearance of the human body. Now, we are seeing the effects of gaming, texting, and keyboarding in the form of “shrimp posture” and “tech neck,” as they slowly force shoulders downward and heads forward.

Microtrauma reforms, restructures and almost chisels out a different person. Prevention of RSIs is a key to enjoying our digital devices in ways we won’t regret a few years from now.  

by Dr. Sherry McAllister, president, Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

Are you new to the world of chiropractic care? That’s okay. New patients discover the wonders of chiropractic care every day. In the U.S., doctors of chiropractic treat almost 35 million Americans annually. That’s 1 million chiropractic adjustments performed every business day.

Chiropractic care is increasing in popularity. More people are turning to chiropractic care for everyday aches and pains to maintain their spinal health and for drug-free pain management. In fact, in the fight against opioids, chiropractic care is becoming increasingly important. People with lower back pain or chronic pain are looking for drug-free approaches, and care from a doctor of chiropractic can help manage their pain without the use of prescription drugs and opioids.

Another reason that more people are turning to chiropractic care is the financial benefits. Most health insurance plans offer some form of coverage for care. Research is also showing that chiropractic care can be cheaper than prescription drugs or other medical interventions. A review from The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that a chiropractic adjustment for back pain instead of a visit to a family doctor could save Medicare nearly $83.5 million/year. On average, a session of chiropractic care costs $65, though costs can vary from state to state.

If you are nervous about trying chiropractic care, seek out the advice of a doctor of chiropractic. They receive a minimum of seven years of higher-level education and are the third-largest group of doctorate level professionals in the healthcare industry. Doctors of chiropractic know their industry; they know the benefits of regular care and are passionate about helping their patients feel their best. Once you begin a regime of proper care, you will see the benefits quickly. You’ve got to give it a try!