National Spine and Pain Centers to Honor Veterans with Free Spine Exams

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- National Spine and Pain Centers, the nation's leading network of chronic pain relief centers, today announced that it would facilitate free spine exams to military veterans on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11. Conceived as a way for NSPC to pursue its mission to end the needless human pain and suffering that comes with chronic and acute pain – in a manner that directly helps those who have served the nation in the armed forces.

Fast Facts: Veterans, Health and Pain
Recent analysis by researchers at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found:

• More veterans (65.5 percent) than nonveterans (56.4 percent) reported having pain in the previous three months. Additionally, a higher proportion of veterans (9.1 percent) reported having severe pain than nonveterans (6.3 percent).

• Veterans were more likely than nonveterans to have any back pain (32.8 percent), back pain with or without sciatica (12.2 percent, 20.5 percent), or joint pain (43.6 percent), but less likely to have jaw pain (3.6 percent) or migraines (10.0 percent).

• The prevalence of severe pain was significantly higher in veterans with back pain (21.6 percent), jaw pain (37.5 percent), severe headaches or migraine (26.4 percent), and neck pain (27.7 percent) than in nonveterans with these conditions.

• For nonveterans, as age increased, the prevalence of any pain and severe pain also increased; however, for veterans, those aged 50 to 59 were most likely to have severe pain, while the youngest and oldest groups were least likely to have severe pain.

• Veterans aged 18−39 and 50−59 were more likely than nonveterans of the same ages to have any pain. Veterans aged 18−39 were also more likely to have severe pain than nonveterans in the same age group. However, veterans aged 70 or older were less likely to have severe pain than similarly aged nonveterans.

"As a proud US Army veteran myself, I am profoundly aware of the all too often needless pain and suffering our veterans endure. As a pain physician, I recognized that – whether it's providing easier access to care or increasing our pain-related research efforts – there is more that can be done by the healthcare community to help those who have selflessly served our country," says Douglas Wisor, M.D., CEO of National Spine and Pain Centers. "By facilitating free spinal exams for veterans on Veterans Day, National Spine and Pain Centers hopes to help as many veterans as possible gain much needed access to a comprehensive spinal assessment – and ultimately to the specialized care they often desperately need," concluded Dr. Wisor.

Veterans interested in obtaining a free spine exam on Monday, November 11, 2019, are encouraged to visit TreatingPain.com to schedule an exam at the nearest NSPC location.

About National Spine and Pain Centers:
For more than 30 years, NSPC affiliated providers have been pioneers in the relief of chronic and acute pain through minimally invasive procedures and leading-edge clinical research. Today, with more than 70 locations and 750 medical professionals facilitating nearly a million patient visits a year, NSPC continues to be the healthcare brand more people trust for access to pain relief providers than any other. NSPC's stated mission is to end needless human pain and suffering by facilitating world-class care. For more information, visit www.TreatingPain.com.

An appointment must be scheduled in advance to take advantage of this offer. This offer is limited to individuals who are not Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Managed Medicaid, or Tricare beneficiaries – or are in other select plans.

SOURCE National Spine and Pain Centers