Chronic Pain: How the VA Can Help
Did you know that acute and chronic pain is the number one reported problem by female active-duty service members and veterans? Whole Health is now offering the Empower Program for Chronic Pain Self-Management.
Chronic pain is pain that persists for more than three months. It is a complex condition that influences behaviors, thoughts, and mood. Individuals with chronic pain may experience consequences such as, decreased physical, social and enjoyable activities, feeling down, anxious, or irritable, have poorer performance at work, school, or home, loss of self-confidence, and trouble with attention, concentration, or memory.
Did you know that acute and chronic pain is the number one reported problem by female active-duty service members and veterans? Chronic pain conditions, including back and neck, headaches and fibromyalgia are more often diagnosed in military women than civilian women. Chronic pelvic pain, pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, is another pain syndrome that is most prevalent amongst women of reproductive age and can be quite debilitating. In service members specifically, 17.6% of women veterans with psychiatric disorders experience pelvic pain.
The Madison VA Whole Health program is now offering the Empower Program for Chronic Pain Management. This program offers individual and group-evidenced based holistic services, aimed to equip Veterans with the skills and tools they need to help improve functioning and reduce the impact of chronic pain on their lives. The focus of chronic pain management is not pain elimination, rather long-term rehabilitation to improve quality of life and functioning. This is done by helping Veterans to create new cycles of self-care.
Veterans will have the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team inclusive of occupational therapy, physical therapy, health psychology, and nutrition. Veterans can also receive personalized training in complementary and integrative health approaches that have been shown to reduce the impact of chronic pain, as well as promote health and wellness. Some of these options include, yoga, tai chi, aromatherapy, mindful meditation, clinical hypnosis, battlefield acupuncture, biofeedback, functional nutrition and more!
To get started with a one-on-one introduction and orientation, talk to your healthcare team to request a consult or call (608) 256-1901 ext. 12537
For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital and subscribe to our newsletters.