Pain among Veterans Returning from Deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan: Update on the Veterans Health Administration Pain Research Program

Kerns, Robert D.; Dobscha, Stenven K.

doi:10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00722.x

Cited by 22 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Our earlier research among veterans and their providers found patients are particularly responsive to CIH-based demonstrations, provider-delivered education, videos, and brief written materials. 32 It is not surprising that pain is one of the two most frequently reported reasons for using CIH approaches, given the high prevalence of pain among veterans 33,34 and the efforts among healthcare providers to offer non-opioid alternatives for pain management. 2 Half or more of veterans reported that acupressure, acupuncture, healing touch/reiki, chiropractic, massage therapy, movement therapy, and biofeedback helped their pain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary and Integrated Health Approaches: What Do Veterans Use and Want

2019

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OBJECTIVES: Non-pharmacological treatment options for common conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, and depression are being given increased consideration in healthcare, especially given the recent emphasis to address the opioid crisis. One set of non-pharmacological treatment options are evidence-based complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches, such as yoga, acupuncture, and meditation. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the nation's largest healthcare system, has been at the forefront of implementing CIH approaches, given their patients' high prevalence of pain, anxiety, and depression. We aimed to conduct the first national survey of veterans' interest in and use of CIH approaches. METHODS: Using a large national convenience sample of veterans who regularly use the VHA, we conducted the first national survey of veterans' interest in, frequency of and reasons for use of, and satisfaction with 26 CIH approaches (n = 3346, 37% response rate) in July 2017. RESULTS: In the past year, 52% used any CIH approach, with 44% using massage therapy, 37% using chiropractic, 34% using mindfulness, 24% using other meditation, and 25% using yoga. For nine CIH approaches, pain and stress reduction/relaxation were the two most frequent reasons veterans gave for using them. Overall, 84% said they were interested in trying/learning more about at least one CIH approach, with about half being interested in six individual CIH approaches (e.g., massage therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, and progressive relaxation). Veterans appeared to be much more likely to use each CIH approach outside the VHA vs. within the VHA. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans report relatively high past-year use of CIH approaches and many more report interest in CIH approaches. To address this gap between patients' level of interest in and use of CIH approaches, primary care providers might want to discuss evidence-based CIH options to their patients for relevant health conditions, given most CIH approaches are safe.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary and Integrated Health Approaches: What Do Veterans Use and Want

2019

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“…The VA's pain research enterprise (86)(87)(88) ranges from studies of the neurobiology of disease to implementation research. The nidus of the VA's pain research effort lies in the Pain Research Working Group (PRWG), led by Dr. Robert Kerns of VA Connecticut and Yale University in monthly phone meetings for many years and almost yearly in face-to-face meetings in various venues.…”

Section: Vha Pain Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing the Pain Agenda in the Veteran Population

Gallagher

2016

Anesthesiology Clinics

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides medical care for Veterans after leaving the military. The combination of multiple deployments and battlefield exposures to physical and psychological trauma results in a higher prevalence and complexity of chronic pain in Veterans than in the general public. The VHA and the Department of Defense work together to develop a single standard of stepped pain management appropriate for all settings from moment of injury or disease onset. This article describes the education, academic detailing, and clinical programs and policies that are transforming pain care in the VHA.

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“…A higher proportion of veterans of the Persian Gulf War of 1991 reported symptoms of pain than did military comparison groups [50]. In fact, reports of pain symptoms could be easily continued with regard to refugees [27], child soldiers [30], prisoners of war [11], the "unspoken secret" of sexual violence in World War II [28], and veterans of former and recent conflicts [1,26].…”

Section: Burden Of Traumatization Of Early War Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 94%

The grapes of war

et al. 2012

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Persistent pain is not a normal part of aging. Nevertheless, many older patients have long-lasting, more or less medically unexplained pain symptoms and, consequently, are often severely disabled, incur high health care costs, and have high comorbidity rates. Moreover, the effects of early traumatization, especially due to wars, and even below the level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are apparent. However, the developmental and neurobiological underpinnings of somatoform pain disorder, especially in pain-prone elderly patients, and its correlations with a history of war traumatization even decades after the incident remain unclear. Furthermore, a management strategy for this disorder tailored to older people and their special needs is lacking. Adequate therapeutic regimens such as adjusted psychotherapeutic procedures for elderly patients can only be promoted through a better understanding of the neurobiological and biographical underpinnings of this still controversial disorder.

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Pain among Veterans Returning from Deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan: Update on the Veterans Health Administration Pain Research Program

Cited by 22 publications

References 10 publications

Complementary and Integrated Health Approaches: What Do Veterans Use and Want

Complementary and Integrated Health Approaches: What Do Veterans Use and Want

Advancing the Pain Agenda in the Veteran Population

The grapes of war

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