Active Service Members Receive Crucial Resources From Tricare
Active service members are some of the most ill affected individuals by musculoskeletal injuries, and spinal misalignment problems. Tricare, which is the government-sponsored program for active service members’ healthcare, is in the process of adding chiropractic care to its coverage list for our nation’s active military members.
Spring Aragon of the Branch Health Clinic Bangor, is striving to secure chiropractic care as part of the treatment pattern for active service members, touting the necessity for spinal adjustment and proper alignment principles in this vulnerable population.
The Chiropractic Health Care Program that is overseen by Spring Aragon focuses on methods of “self-healing” without the involvement of pharmaceutical interventions or other topical treatments that may not fall in line with the alternative medicine principles of chiropractic care. Recovery is of the utmost importance in these types of programs, as many of the patients have seen high impact musculoskeletal stress over time, and need to find ways to bring the body back to proper functionality and range of motion.
Chiropractic care programs that are sponsored by Tricare, specifically in programs like the one at the Branch Health Clinic Bangor, does not simply reach just the service member alone. Family members of the active service member are afforded the opportunity of seeking treatment in non-chiropractic disciplines such as orthopedics or physical therapy. In creating Tricare for this vulnerable population, the government has maintained understanding that the service member returning home is not the only individual affected by the tour of service. If the individual is returning home with significant injury, the family incurs a heightened cost of medical care, especially if the family lacks insurance coverage.
Aragon understands that many of these cases require long-term treatment over an extended period of time. Chiropractors handling active service members often have to start slow and integrate the patient into the treatment module slowly. Especially in individuals who are afflicted by the stress of carrying excess equipment for long periods of time and have seen joint deterioration, a significant amount of strengthening is required before spinal adjustment and realignment can enter the equation.
Those involved in the military have a unique set of needs with respect to their medical care and it is important for medical professionals to assess these needs individually. In chiropractic care, these needs are inherently specific with respect to the individual involved in any sort of military capacity.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Mark Morgan