The Army’s got a new prescription to relieve chronic pain: Turn troops into acupuncture-loving yogis.
Four new alternative healing clinics, called integrative pain management centers, will be established this year at Army bases across the country.
That number is expected to double next year, and depending on patient outcomes, the initiative could transform how the military’s entire medical community addresses pain.
The Department of Defense’s 2012 budget allots $10 million to “comprehensive pain management,” a tiny sum compared to the $6 billion that it spent on pharmaceuticals last year alone.
But that small investment could make a big difference, according to military personnel who advocate a holistic approach, along with founders of myriad nonprofits that already provide alternative therapies — mostly free — for service members.
“The military culture in general is a stressful environment, even without the element of combat,” said CJ Keller, a former Marine officer who credits yoga with restoring his health after a deployment to Iraq. “Yoga was the perfect medicine.”
The Army’s new centers will offer alternatives for relief that are a far cry from pain pills. Practitioners are available to provide acupuncture, yoga classes, chiropractic services and massage therapy for troops and veterans.
“Opioids, particularly morphine, have been the answer for pain for many decades ... but things have changed,” Col. Trip Buckenmaier, the director of the Army’s Defense and Veterans Center for Integrated Pain Management, told Army Times. “We have more people surviving from horrible wounds than ever before, and we’re beginning to see that this tool we were relying on was beginning to fail us.”
At the heart of the Army’s new pain management protocol is a recognition that suffering isn’t solely physical. Strategies that offer relaxation, human touch or exercise can have an enormous impact, said Christy Myer, the founder of Massage for Troops, a nonprofit that offers massage therapy to military personnel.
“We do know that some of the pain relief from massage can be psychosomatic,” she said. “People just need to be touched, and the comfort that comes from that is very valuable.”
The Army’s push into alternatives for pain relief has been swift: In 2010, a task force offered 109 recommendations on moving away from medication dispensation and toward integrating holistic approachest. At Hawaii’s Tesler Army Medical Center, one of the Army’s four pilot clinics is already up and running.
In addition to centers that incorporate alternative medicine, the task force advised the Army to create a more comprehensive pain rating scale. Instead of the standard “zero to 10” range, service members are now asked more in-depth questions about how pain affects their day-to-day life.
And in an effort to standardize care and improve communication between doctors and patients, the Army will also implement a new, computerized database that allows patients to input information before their medical appointments and practitioners to add details on treatment and its outcome.
Such initiatives are also target another major side effect of America’s wars: drug addiction.
Up to 35 percent of wounded or ailing service members are addicted to painkillers, according to a report from the Army inspector general released earlier this year. Such dependency can be deadly: In 2010, prescription meds were linked to 73 percent of accidental deaths and more than 30 percent of suicides among service members.
For Buckenmaier, the prospect of untreated pain and premature deaths threatens to become a decades-long battle.
“We need to get a handle on the tsunami of pain that’s going to hit America from these conflicts,” he said. “Not just the wounded, but also the large population of pain.” The Army will see soon “from the wear and tear on soldiers’ bodies,” he said.
Keller hopes to help returning service members on his own. Last month, he completed a yoga teacher training program and started offering a class tailored to veterans in Baltimore.
“Vets want to know what the heck yoga is, and how it can help their health,” he said. “Once they get on the mat, breathe and feel their body connect with their mind, I think they’ll understand.”
Katie.Drummond@thedaily.com
“Vets want to know what the heck yoga is, and how it can help their health,” he said. “Once they get on the mat, breathe and feel their body connect with their mind, I think they’ll understand.”
The military is studying different forms of alternative medicine. Among the practices gaining traction are these.
Acupuncture: Can treat acute and chronic pain, such as headaches.
Yoga-based meditation: Often reduces the physical and emotional tension that characterizes post-traumatic stress disorder.
Nutritional supplements: Offer anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, to enhance physical and mental performance.
Massage therapy: Used to treat acute low back pain in combat-ready troops.
Low-energy electrical stimulation: Prescribed for musculoskeletal overuse injuries, such as ankle sprains.
Source: The Samueli Institute
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Four new alternative healing clinics, called integrative pain management centers, will be established this year at Army bases across the country.
That number is expected to double next year, and depending on patient outcomes, the initiative could transform how the military’s entire medical community addresses pain.
The Department of Defense’s 2012 budget allots $10 million to “comprehensive pain management,” a tiny sum compared to the $6 billion that it spent on pharmaceuticals last year alone.
But that small investment could make a big difference, according to military personnel who advocate a holistic approach, along with founders of myriad nonprofits that already provide alternative therapies — mostly free — for service members.
“The military culture in general is a stressful environment, even without the element of combat,” said CJ Keller, a former Marine officer who credits yoga with restoring his health after a deployment to Iraq. “Yoga was the perfect medicine.”
The Army’s new centers will offer alternatives for relief that are a far cry from pain pills. Practitioners are available to provide acupuncture, yoga classes, chiropractic services and massage therapy for troops and veterans.
“Opioids, particularly morphine, have been the answer for pain for many decades ... but things have changed,” Col. Trip Buckenmaier, the director of the Army’s Defense and Veterans Center for Integrated Pain Management, told Army Times. “We have more people surviving from horrible wounds than ever before, and we’re beginning to see that this tool we were relying on was beginning to fail us.”
At the heart of the Army’s new pain management protocol is a recognition that suffering isn’t solely physical. Strategies that offer relaxation, human touch or exercise can have an enormous impact, said Christy Myer, the founder of Massage for Troops, a nonprofit that offers massage therapy to military personnel.
“We do know that some of the pain relief from massage can be psychosomatic,” she said. “People just need to be touched, and the comfort that comes from that is very valuable.”
The Army’s push into alternatives for pain relief has been swift: In 2010, a task force offered 109 recommendations on moving away from medication dispensation and toward integrating holistic approachest. At Hawaii’s Tesler Army Medical Center, one of the Army’s four pilot clinics is already up and running.
In addition to centers that incorporate alternative medicine, the task force advised the Army to create a more comprehensive pain rating scale. Instead of the standard “zero to 10” range, service members are now asked more in-depth questions about how pain affects their day-to-day life.
And in an effort to standardize care and improve communication between doctors and patients, the Army will also implement a new, computerized database that allows patients to input information before their medical appointments and practitioners to add details on treatment and its outcome.
Such initiatives are also target another major side effect of America’s wars: drug addiction.
Up to 35 percent of wounded or ailing service members are addicted to painkillers, according to a report from the Army inspector general released earlier this year. Such dependency can be deadly: In 2010, prescription meds were linked to 73 percent of accidental deaths and more than 30 percent of suicides among service members.
For Buckenmaier, the prospect of untreated pain and premature deaths threatens to become a decades-long battle.
“We need to get a handle on the tsunami of pain that’s going to hit America from these conflicts,” he said. “Not just the wounded, but also the large population of pain.” The Army will see soon “from the wear and tear on soldiers’ bodies,” he said.
Keller hopes to help returning service members on his own. Last month, he completed a yoga teacher training program and started offering a class tailored to veterans in Baltimore.
“Vets want to know what the heck yoga is, and how it can help their health,” he said. “Once they get on the mat, breathe and feel their body connect with their mind, I think they’ll understand.”
Katie.Drummond@thedaily.com
“Vets want to know what the heck yoga is, and how it can help their health,” he said. “Once they get on the mat, breathe and feel their body connect with their mind, I think they’ll understand.”
The military is studying different forms of alternative medicine. Among the practices gaining traction are these.
Acupuncture: Can treat acute and chronic pain, such as headaches.
Yoga-based meditation: Often reduces the physical and emotional tension that characterizes post-traumatic stress disorder.
Nutritional supplements: Offer anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, to enhance physical and mental performance.
Massage therapy: Used to treat acute low back pain in combat-ready troops.
Low-energy electrical stimulation: Prescribed for musculoskeletal overuse injuries, such as ankle sprains.
Source: The Samueli Institute
RELATED ARTICLES
WAR, ON DRUGS: Pentagon resists monitoring as troops take more meds than ever
FREE YOUR MIND: Controversial neurofeedback brain therapy may be the answer to PTSD
WAR IS HEAL: New techniques to mend soldiers' wounds could benefit the world
PHOTO: CJ Keller
Former Marine CJ Keller, now a certified yoga instructor, turned to yoga after his deployment in Iraq.
PHOTO: CJ Keller
Keller said yoga was the perfect anecdote to the stress of the military.
