Veterans, Chronic Pain, and Disease

Warriors for Wellness is Committed to helping Veterans with Chronic Pain

Veterans and Non Veterans with Chronic Disease

Recent reports per the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 6 out of 10 Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, and 4 out of 10 are managing two or more chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cardiopulmonary disease, advanced arthritis, obesity, and autoimmune disease, all of which constitute the nation’s leading causes of death and disability and its most costly health conditions (Raghupathi & Raghupathi, 2018).

Despite the fact that, on average, the U.S spends twice as much per capita on healthcare than other large, wealthy countries (Wager et al., 2024), the incidence of chronic health conditions in the U.S, such as chronic pain, is only expected to continue to worsen . The Frontiers of Public Health has projected that by 2050, the number of chronic diseases in those 50 years and older will increase by 99.5%, and in the same population, multimorbidity will increase 91.16%” as compared to 2022 statistics (Ansah & Chiu, 2023). 

The Epidemic of Chronic Pain

A 2016 report by the CDC estimated that just less than 18% of the population was experiencing chronic pain (50 million people). Incredibly, these numbers have continued to increase exponentially: A 2017 report by the National Institutes of Health,  just one year later, estimated that 65.6% of veterans and 56.4% of non-military individuals in the US experience chronic pain, with veterans experiencing intense, chronic pain 50% more frequently than non-veterans (Nahin, 2016). To see the 2019 to 2021 CDC report, click here

"Chronic pain" is defined as pain lasting more than three months, is a debilitating condition which affects an individual's ability to work and engage in normal daily activities, and is associated with high levels of depression, dementias , high suicide risk, and substance use and misuse . Of note, much of this substance abuse was by no fault of those who became addicted. "There is overwhelming evidence that the opioid crisis—which has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars , and counting,—has been created or exacerbated by webs of influence woven by several pharmaceutical companies. " CL ICK HERE to view full 2020 article.

Not only has the chronic prescription of opioids for chronic pain been challenged in the past decade, but many of the other traditional interventions promoted for " management" (chronic use of anti-inflammatory drugs/muscle relaxers, steroid injections, and spinal surgeries and procedures such as radiofrequency ablation) have often fallen short , most certainly when used as stand-alone interventions.

Holistic Services for Veterans in Chronic Pain

There is a large body of research which confirms that chronic conditions, like chronic pain, can be managed in whole or in part, through holistic practices such as changes in activity, nutrition, rest and recovery, stress management and resilience practices. In 2015, the Veterans Administration recognized and acknowledged the need for holistic wellness and implemented their own initiative to offer Complementary and Integrative Healthcare (CIH) to veterans (VA Directive 1137). To date, however, there have often been significant barriers to providing CIH across the VA due to staffing issues, clinical preferences, differences in implementation, and recent increases in access to specialists in the community who do not share the VA’s mission to include CIH.

Historically, many Americans, veterans and non veterans alike, have experienced considerable barriers in accessing holistic, prevention-focused care based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, sex, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and residential location. "Equitable access to healthcare means having the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes and includes access to health services aimed at preventing and managing disease, reducing unnecessary disability and premature death, and achieving health equity for all Americans." (National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report)

Warriors For Wellness' Commitment to Veterans with Chronic Pain

It is the mission, duty and purpose of Warriors for Wellness to provide equitable access to holistic wellness services in lower socioeconomic communities by providing free or reduced-cost wellness education, coaching, consultation, and group exercise classes to veterans and other underserved populations. Warriors for Wellness has a particular commitment to helping veterans with chronic pain, as well as those struggling with addiction.

Look for future POSTS related to the neuroscience explaining what we now understand about chronic pain. Also look for the beginning of our Chronic Pain education Class (Pain is Not What You Think), and/or join our Veteran/Chronic Pain Centered Mindful Movement Education and Activity Class today! CLICK HERE to view class details.

Always Check with your health care provider before beginning any new exercise program!

Disclaimer: This BLOG is for Educational Purposes, Only. This information provided is educational and informational in nature and is made only as general information. The information does not establish a patient-provider relationship, establish a standard of care, or offer medical, dietary, or therapeutic care, advice, opinion, diagnosis, or treatment. This information does not replace independent professional or medical judgment and should not be relied upon as medical, psychological, or other professional advice of any kind or nature whatsoever. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating any mental or physical health problem or disease. You are solely responsible for any action taken based on your interpretation of this information and you are responsible for your own health care decision-making by obtaining any necessary consultations with appropriately licensed health care professionals such as physicians and psychologists.

Ansah, P. J., & Chiu, C. (2023, January 13). Projecting the chronic disease burden among the

adult population in the United States using a multi-state population model. Front Public Health, 10. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1082183

National Library of Medicine. (2021, December). Access to Healthcare and disparities in access.

2021 National Healthcare quality and disparities report. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK578537/

Nahin, L. R., (2016, November 21). Severe pain in veterans: The impact of age and sex, and

comparisons to the general population. J Pain, 18(3), 247-254. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5337168/

Raghupathi, W., & Raghupathi, V. (2018, March 15). An empirical study of chronic diseases in

the United States: A visual analytics approach to Public Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 15(3), 431. http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030431

Wager, E., McGough, M., Rakshit, S., Amin, K., & Cox, C. (2024, January 23). How does health

spending in the U.S compare to other countries? https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#GDP per capita and health consumption spending per capita, 2022 (U.S. dollars, PPP adjusted)