Posted on Apr 17, 2016
New holistic approach to pain treatment at Martinsburg VA
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New holistic approach to pain treatment at Martinsburg VA
Patients taking yoga, meditation, and physical therapy classes
MARTINSBURG, W.v.
Steven Longerbeam said while he was serving in Iraq, he saw his life flash before his eyes.
“We experienced some small arms fire and so when I ducked down in the turret, I fell backwards and bent my lower back and hit it over an amo can,” he said.
After surviving the incredibly close call, Longerbeam was prescribed pain medication for his back injury. He was also given Xanax for his PTSD, which ultimately led to a deep dependence.
“I was going to the grocery store and realized that I was going into a public setting and I didn’t have the medication with me and my immediate response was to turn around and go back to the house and get the medication in case I needed it,” Longerbeam said.
Dr. Ngozi Efobi, Chief of the Division of Rehabilitation Services at the VA said every day around 100 people die from drug overdoses across the country and that rate is higher among veterans because those who served are treating mental and physical problems.
However, mixing depression medications with certain pain pills can be deadly even if they are taken as prescribed.
“Patients who are co-prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines are at a higher risk of an unintentional overdose,” Dr. Efobi said.
With that in mind, Dr. Efobi said the Martinsburg VA is changing their course of action.
Instead of just treating pain with a pill they are providing more of a holistic approach, complete with yoga, meditation and physical therapy sessions.
“Things that get used get better and this is a whole paradigm shift because we want patients to do better,” Dr. Efobi said.
The new facility has not opened just yet, but after just six months of meditation and yoga, Longerbeam said he is already seeing positive results.
“If I was still taking the medications that I was, even just a year ago, I don’t think I’d be where I am now,” Longerbeam said.
But there are a whole host of holistic programs that vets are actively taking part in already.
“Having the move program, the gym program, and the swim program, all of these programs, [they] help people deal with life,” Iraq war veteran, Judi Roberts said.
The new facility will open in early May.
Patients taking yoga, meditation, and physical therapy classes
MARTINSBURG, W.v.
Steven Longerbeam said while he was serving in Iraq, he saw his life flash before his eyes.
“We experienced some small arms fire and so when I ducked down in the turret, I fell backwards and bent my lower back and hit it over an amo can,” he said.
After surviving the incredibly close call, Longerbeam was prescribed pain medication for his back injury. He was also given Xanax for his PTSD, which ultimately led to a deep dependence.
“I was going to the grocery store and realized that I was going into a public setting and I didn’t have the medication with me and my immediate response was to turn around and go back to the house and get the medication in case I needed it,” Longerbeam said.
Dr. Ngozi Efobi, Chief of the Division of Rehabilitation Services at the VA said every day around 100 people die from drug overdoses across the country and that rate is higher among veterans because those who served are treating mental and physical problems.
However, mixing depression medications with certain pain pills can be deadly even if they are taken as prescribed.
“Patients who are co-prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines are at a higher risk of an unintentional overdose,” Dr. Efobi said.
With that in mind, Dr. Efobi said the Martinsburg VA is changing their course of action.
Instead of just treating pain with a pill they are providing more of a holistic approach, complete with yoga, meditation and physical therapy sessions.
“Things that get used get better and this is a whole paradigm shift because we want patients to do better,” Dr. Efobi said.
The new facility has not opened just yet, but after just six months of meditation and yoga, Longerbeam said he is already seeing positive results.
“If I was still taking the medications that I was, even just a year ago, I don’t think I’d be where I am now,” Longerbeam said.
But there are a whole host of holistic programs that vets are actively taking part in already.
“Having the move program, the gym program, and the swim program, all of these programs, [they] help people deal with life,” Iraq war veteran, Judi Roberts said.
The new facility will open in early May.
New holistic approach to pain treatment at Martinsburg VA
Posted from your4state.comPosted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Disabled Veterans
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Disabled Veterans
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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Actually Martinsburg West Virginia VA medical Center is my primary VA Medical Center SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL. I was treated by their physical therapy folks last summer after my right knee buckled a couple times. First they issued a walker and cane to me. Thankfully my wife was wit me because I would not have been able to carry both out of the facility.
I made some progress there after they treated me for lower spine issues with my spinal system. They had to re-correct a couple times after the stretching exercises caused me to go into back spasms. They essentially gave up on me. Later I saw my primary care who works out of their ancillary facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland. She coordinated with Martinsburg and got me into the Fort Detrick physical therapy doctor who worked with me for two months and significantly improved my ability to function. This year by right hip began to malfunction and I saw the orthopedic doctor at Fort Detrick who diagnosed with sciatic times two for one leg, She ordered physical therapy for me a couple weeks ago but I have not been scheduled yet.
I am not the least bit interested in taking Yoga which is difficult to divorce from its eastern religion aspects. I meditate on something such as scripture, my family, etc. I am firmly opposed to the concept of meditation which attempts to empty your mind.
I tried acupuncture once - they had pins in my nose, cheeks, and much of my body after I gave them a few symptoms like neuropathy, spinal stenosis, and one or two more. I felt like the gut=y in karate kid as I felt a split second of +comfort and then I bet some of the needles in my arms and elsewhere. I expect acupuncture could benefit you if you have localized symptoms; but, most veterans in the VA system have multiple issues that we are dealing with.
I made some progress there after they treated me for lower spine issues with my spinal system. They had to re-correct a couple times after the stretching exercises caused me to go into back spasms. They essentially gave up on me. Later I saw my primary care who works out of their ancillary facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland. She coordinated with Martinsburg and got me into the Fort Detrick physical therapy doctor who worked with me for two months and significantly improved my ability to function. This year by right hip began to malfunction and I saw the orthopedic doctor at Fort Detrick who diagnosed with sciatic times two for one leg, She ordered physical therapy for me a couple weeks ago but I have not been scheduled yet.
I am not the least bit interested in taking Yoga which is difficult to divorce from its eastern religion aspects. I meditate on something such as scripture, my family, etc. I am firmly opposed to the concept of meditation which attempts to empty your mind.
I tried acupuncture once - they had pins in my nose, cheeks, and much of my body after I gave them a few symptoms like neuropathy, spinal stenosis, and one or two more. I felt like the gut=y in karate kid as I felt a split second of +comfort and then I bet some of the needles in my arms and elsewhere. I expect acupuncture could benefit you if you have localized symptoms; but, most veterans in the VA system have multiple issues that we are dealing with.
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The Minneapolis VA is going this direction too. They had me on Percocet for several years for my herniated disc. Even after surgery I still have some chronic pain. About a year ago I participated in a chronic pain study at the VA where they were looking at opioid vs non-opioid treatments. At the end of the study they weaned me of my opioid meds and gave me naproxen. The pharmacist in charge of the study told me the VA as a whole is getting away from opioids for chronic conditions. The only way you are going to get opioids for anything more than an acute condition in the future is if you're dealing with cancer pain or end of life pain.
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