Newswise — Arlington, Va.- A new study finds that female veterans—one of the fastest growing populations receiving treatment through the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system—experience improvement in low back pain with a course of chiropractic care, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

Published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the study’s authors note that musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain are the most common ailments among female veterans. They also report that female veterans on average access VA medical care more frequently than male veterans, have a higher outpatient cost per patient and have a higher rate of service-connected disability.

Chiropractic services are one of the conservative (non-drug) treatment options for pain offered in the VA. They are available at half of the major VA medical facilities in the United States. “Chiropractic’s non-drug, non-addictive and noninvasive approach to pain management can help alleviate disabling pain and improve function,” says ACA President David Herd, DC. “That’s why chiropractors are an important part of the health care team in the VA.”

The VA has been under fire lately for the overuse of opioid painkillers, leading to higher rates of addiction and overdose death for veterans. Now there is more of an effort to emphasize non-drug treatments like chiropractic first for pain to avoid opioid abuse. The VA has expanded the coverage of this care to chiropractic clinics rather than just VA facilities. All veterans, both male and female, should request chiropractic care at a local clinic for their aches and pains.

Info provided by ACA.

With significant physical changes during pregnancy can come a lot pain or discomfort, leading many moms to consider chiropractic during pregnancy. When pregnant, pain is most commonly noted through the back and pelvis, but may be felt down the legs or through the neck, shoulders, and head. Chiropractic care is a great option for pain relief and improved health during pregnancy and has minimal risk compared to other common treatment options.

Here are 5 benefits of using chiropractic care during pregnancy:

1. Less pain. Back pain is common in pregnancy, and chiropractic treatment appears to be similarly effective for pregnancy-related pains as it is for other patients. Not only does less pain feel better, but it can also help reduce the stress and anxiety that tend to come with it.

2. Less risk to the child. All medications carry some risks and a developing child is at much greater risk of side effects than an adult mother. Even Tylenol (acetaminophen), which had been the go-to medication for pain in pregnancy, has now been linked to higher risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the child. By reducing discomfort, non-drug treatments like chiropractic can help reduce or eliminate the need for medication use by the mother, reducing risks of all kinds of potential side effects.

3. Shorter labor/delivery. A comparison of those using or not using chiropractic during pregnancy, found a significant reduction in average labor time with chiropractic patients, reducing stress on mother and child. Shorter labor time is associated with fewer medical interventions. Chiropractic adjustments may assist in helping the pelvis naturally prepare for delivery.

4. Healthier mom. While chiropractic adjusting and treatments generally focus on reducing discomfort, they may also help reduce related issues like shortness of breath, indigestion, and bowel problems. Nutrition coaching and lifestyle modifications are often used to address other issues as well. By reducing pain and improving function during pregnancy, chiropractic can also help increase healthy activity and the added benefits that come with it.

5. Healthier child. A healthier mom, with less pain, on less medication, under less stress, and experiencing an easier delivery increases the likelihood of a healthy child.

To avoid the risks of medication alone for the developing child, it's worth trying non-drug treatments like chiropractic manipulation to relieve pain. However, as noted above, there are a number of potential benefits to mom and baby when using chiropractic care during pregnancy.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be a difficult problem for children and adults, but recent research has confirmed the benefit of avoiding inflammatory foods like sugar and grains.

Conventional Medical Treatment for IBD

IBD conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease can cause severe digestive problems ranging from abdominal pain, to fluctuations between excessive or infrequent bowel movements. These conditions are conventionally treated with medications and some diet changes to reduce flare-ups of symptoms. Because of the common risks associated with immunosupressive medications (medications that reduce the strength of the immune system), researchers studied the effectiveness of dietary changes alone for children with mild to moderate IBD.

Less Inflammatory Food = Less IBD

Researchers found that dietary changes alone (without the use of medication) could induce remission in children with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. "This diet removes proinflammatory carbohydrates such as simple sugars and sweeteners (honey excepted), starches, grains, some legumes, and all dairy products other than hard cheese and yogurt fermented for 24 hours."

Sugars and sweeteners are well known to be inflammatory, but many patients and even health care providers don't realize that grains are also inflammatory regardless of their gluten content. The diet studied is similar to a paleo diet which focuses on whole unprocessed foods including vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, good quality meats (pasture-raised), and healthy fats.

Avoiding inflammatory foods in favor of real whole foods can produce great health benefits and is a good place to start for anyone experiencing digestive problems. Whether you have IBD or not, try eating an anti-inflammation diet that avoids sugars and grains to improve your health.