You probably knew it was coming and it is a good thing. Holistic Medicine is Uncle Sam’s new pain management tool. The military has new marching orders. This report comes from Holistic Primary Care and it is good news for those suffering from pain.
Holistic Medicine is Uncle Sam’s New Pain Management Tool
In an effort to improve the wellbeing of active duty personnel and returning veterans, the three branches of the armed forces and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have made a firm commitment to the integration of holistic modalities into military medicine.
Two years ago, representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the VA convened a Pain Management Task Force to address the glaring unmet need for better, more holistic pain management in the armed forces. The Task Force’s 2010 report, calling for greater use of non-pharmacologic therapies, formed the basis for the Army’s recently established Pain Management Campaign Plan, headed by Col. Kevin Galloway.
“Why does the Army need a special pain management task force? Because we don’t manage pain very well, plain and simple. We need to do a better job,” said Col. Galloway. “Troops are diverting their meds to each other. Up to 35% of soldiers wounded in action become addicted to drugs, prescription or otherwise.”
Acupuncture on Active Duty
There needs to be a shift in the entire objective of pain management, he said. “If pain is “controlled” but the person is non-functional and sleeping on the couch all day, we’re really not doing our jobs very well. I want to have intelligent conversations about something more than just medications.”
The old “more pain means more-phine” approach is no longer working for a lot of soldiers. Many are seeking out alternatives to pain meds on their own. “Clinics offering Chinese medicine for pain relief are replacing porn shops and tattoo parlors outside of military bases.”
Transforming the VA
Shortly after the launch of the Pain Management Task Force, the VA established a new Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, headed by Tracy Gaudet, MD. The goal? A fundamental shift from a disease-based, problem-oriented mode of practice to one that considers the total health of each veteran.
Click here to read more about how Uncle Sam is using Holistic Medicine.
Yes holistic health is beginning to improve the lives of many of our veterans and help with pain management. The field of holistic medicine is vast and there are new discoveries being make constantly. Holistic medicine has tools from pain management to pain relief to even pain elimination.
Please share this with everyone you know and celebrate the help that is coming to our veterans.