Va Has A New Pain Management Treatment

[RUREADY]

After raising hell about no treatment for pain in pain-management other than injections

in the bones seems as though or was told a program is started in Tampa for Empower

Veteran or something that last 10 weeks at 3 hours one day a week to help cope with pain

retrain your mind to handle pain and depression suppose to help live a better quality of life.

Only one clinic that takes maybe 100 people will get approve for so far . I was ask would I like to try and my

reply was why not nothing else worked so far. Anyone in Tampa area tried this. Will have the exact

name later for the program but it is just getting started in Atlanta area . I never turn down pain treatments. jmho

[RUREADY]

its another way to try and treat pain. Injection didn't work for me either , narcotic

pain meds seems to do more harm than good for me. I say this its more ways now

to treat pain from what it was in the 70's, 80's. more choices. 2 Aleve's 12 hour pain meds

actually work well for me and non-narcotic. Never turn down treatment that's offered, it

might help and might not but I tried it. If you got to have pain meds than there is a problem

that need addressing do something besides sitting around eating pills all day , its a habit that need

fixing. Back problems best cure is do some simple exercises and walking really helps. Retrain your

mind to a different way of treating and dealing with pain is all the program is about. Different choices. jmho

[RUREADY]

I live in Tampa but was told I had to be off opiates to use the pain program. I was pressured hard to reduce my opiates, and chose to withdraw from crummy Fentanyl Patches that did not work anyway. This seems to have relieved my doctor's mind, but they won't be happy until I am unhappy. If you have back or neck trouble and don't respond to injections the other real options are dope or surgery. I am not doing surgery on my back or neck until I can't walk or can't hold a cup of coffee. No way in hell would I let VA cut on my back or neck, nor would I allow injections since I had RF Ablation and steroid injections by private doctors and it hurt! These private pain doctors wanted me to come back for more while VA could care less as long as you don't die when they are standing over you with a knife in their hand. My trust issues with VA point towards paranoia, severe, chronic and poor prognosis. I just don't trust the VA at all about anything.

John

I just don't trust the VA at all about anything. I would get treatment from some where else

if you don't trust them your choice. Get another doctor its always good to have a backup

plan with VA. I 've lost trust in them also that's what make me drive harder at getting shit right

from them VA every chance I get

[RUREADY]

Update on VA and the program Empower Veterans after being approve for

acupuncture treatment and after my PC doctor had told me Atlanta didn't do acupuncture

treatment seems they do have a program for this "they cant accept any more patients

because they only have one person that does this at Atlanta VA". So I ask about 30 day

no appointment are they suppose to send to a "fee base clinic" off the choice card. Then I

was told they don't have a provider to do this outside VA. I find a doctor that will take VA payments

and was told to contact fee base at the VAMC and also to send her a guarantee she will get paid

for her services because she has treated 3 patient from VA last year and still have not receive

payments for that. I told VA just what she told me and I'm still waiting for fee base response to the problem

but they said they will take care of this and try to resolve her payments from the other. Find doctors VA

wont pay just my luck. lol

Edited February 20, 2015 by RUREADY

[ArNG11]

This is the thing that I have been dealing with for years with my ex VA primary care doctor. Mind you I don't understand how a seasoned Dr. that I have been treated by since 2008 and has worked for the VA since the 90's does not know about programs and options for veteran's care. She denied knowing anything about the the spine clinic at the hospital. Played dumb every time I mentioned fee based care. Never heard of the choice program, hell only now she started referencing the SCI Hospital that I've been mentioning and asking about for a longer time than necessary. (years) It's crap. You get what you pay for. Which IMO is sad. Patients should not have to go through this. Especially when a doctors role is to take care of their patient one patient at a time. This is just me, but when you get the runaround, or meet resistance, fight back. Don't take that crap. You are entitled to quality, timely, effective care. Compassion and understanding are key ingredients for doctors, at times, I think some forget that and get caught up in the bureaucracy, sadly, it is what it is sometimes. Gotta save a buck.

Back on track. Sorry. Try every pain management option you have before you make a decision on surgery. Lifestyle changes, meditation, acupuncture, chiropractic care, etc, exhaust all options before even considering surgery or more aggressive solutions to health problems. JMO

[Fat]

Interesting...................

[Navy04]

I am going to be referred here shortly for accupunture, and I currently have a TENS unit. Nothing has helped me, and I can not take meds due to Crohns Disease and I had 2 blood transfusions. I kept getting denied SC and now finally will be granted after being diagnosed with DDD, DJD, 2 bulging Discs and I developed a whole in the spine near L3 endplate.