Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Yoga and Other Non-Drug Pain Care at VA
VA lists these treatments for pain. You can ask your VA provider about them.
What it is
VA's Pain Management office publishes a list of complementary and integrative treatments for pain and health. These are treatments that are not medicines. VA lists:
- Mind and body: yoga, tai chi, meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, clinical hypnosis, guided imagery.
- Hands-on and traditional: acupuncture, Battlefield Acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic care, massage therapy.
- Talk and behavior based: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy, emotional awareness and expression therapy, biofeedback.
- Physical: physical therapy, aqua therapy, therapeutic exercise, heat and cold, TENS, therapeutic ultrasound.
- Whole person: spirituality-based approaches and Whole Health programs.
Non-drug pain care paths
The trap to know about
VA says: "Not all therapies are available at all VA Medical Centers, and certain therapies may not be appropriate for all conditions." Ask about the list, but do not assume every item is offered where you live.
How to get it, step by step
- Write down the treatments from the list above that you want to try.
- At your next VA visit, or by secure message to your care team, say: "I want to try these non-drug options for my pain."
- VA's instruction is to talk to your provider to decide which approaches are best for you.
- If your medical center does not offer a treatment, VA says to ask your provider whether similar care may be available in your community.
- Not in VA health care yet? Apply with the link below.
Massage therapy through community care has its own rules. See the separate massage therapy page on this site.
What it costs
Your copay depends on your rating and priority group. See the VA copay page linked below. I did not find a separate dollar amount for these therapies on VA's pain page, so ask your VA facility.
Where to call and where to go
Phone
- 1-800-698-2411 (VA main information line). Source: VA substance use page
- Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7: 988, then press 1. Source: Helpful VA phone numbers
Official pages