Soldiers Benefit from Regular Access to Chiropractic
Pain and suffering experienced by military men and women all over the world reaches the stages of an epidemic. The rigor of training, physical demands of duty, and the unique levels of stress experienced by most military men and women increase the likelihood of pain and other health challenges. No other profession deserves adequate attention and care for both health and bodies like the men and women of the military. The current standard of care for active and veteran soldiers meets mediocre levels at best. Far too many service men and women receive inadequate care that usually consists of addicting prescription drugs that never address the underlying sources of pain and dysfunction.
Three reasons why soldiers deserve access to chiropractic care:
1) Chiropractic care increases range of motion, flexibility, performance, and function.
2) Chiropractic adjustments help soldiers heal and recover faster and more completely so they can push themselves harder and more consistently in training.
3) Chiropractic care helps soldiers deal with day to day physical and mental stress without the need for long term medication and drug use.
Most military men and women who seek care for physical or emotional pain receive a prescription for medication. When less potent medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) fail to provide healing from pain and injury, doctors provide more addictive and potent drugs like opioids. Thousands of honorable servicemen and women end up walking this path. Active and veteran soldiers comprise of one of the most prevalent populations to be prescribed opioids at unprecedented levels. Organizations offer drug rehabilitation and recovery groups for the very method of physical and mental rehabilitation and recovery that doctors prescribe for these wounded warriors.
Musculoskeletal injuries significantly affect the health and operational readiness of active military personnel. Musculoskeletal injuries represent one of the most prevalent battle and non-battle related injuries in the active duty military. Musculoskeletal conditions associate with lost productivity, lost duty days, and impact the ability to deploy.
Chiropractors assess conditions related to the spine, nervous system, and joints while also providing diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of chronic and painful conditions. Two recent randomized trials reported pain relief, reduced disability, and greater satisfaction when patients added chiropractic care to their usual medical routine when compared to only using medical interventions to manage low back pain.
Chiropractic proves to be worth invaluable when evaluating the most important aspect of any healthcare intervention: results. One study reported that active duty military personnel reported a 94% satisfaction rate amongst those receiving chiropractic care. The brave men and women in the United States military make incredible sacrifices to serve and protect others. They deserve the finest physical and mental health care available. That solution does not come from a bottle of pills. They deserve chiropractic.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Brian Wallace
Dr. Glenn Eigenmann
Dr. Bill Wallace
Chiropractic & Manual Therapies July 15 2019 “Chiropractic services in the active duty military setting: a scoping review.” Silvano Mior, Deborah Sutton, Daphne To, Carolina Cancelliere, Simon French, Anne Taylor-Vaisey, and Pierre Côté