Veteran's Pain Care Policy Act-- S 2162
Migraine is generally considered to be genetic, but it is also known that it can be secondary to injury. (See Brain Injury)
I have not yet seen any facts or figures of the number of veterans coming home with injuries that are resulting in migraine and/or head pain, but I suspect the numbers will be substantial.
Below is a request from the American Pain Foundation for a few moments of your time to familiarize yourself with and support this legislation.
Chronic pain is often terribly under-treated. This act calls for focus on pain management and pain research as a new generation of veterans suffering from pain enters the Veterans’ Administration health care system. In helping your veteran neighbor, you may inadvertently be helping yourself.
Ellen
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED
Veterans Bill to be considered in the Senate this week!
MilVet3
To All Pain Advocates, Members of the American Pain Foundation,
and supporters of Veterans:
Senator Akaka, Chairman of the Veterans Committee, introduced the Veterans Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 (S 2160) that would require the Veterans Administration (VA) to establish a comprehensive pain management program for Veterans. This legislation has now been revised and supported by Senator Burr, Ranking Minority Member of the Veterans Committee. The content of the Veterans Pain Care Policy Act has now been incorporated into S 2162, as amended. It is expected that the combined legislation will be considered by the full Senate later this week.
We are asking that you contact your Senator TODAY to request their support for this critical Veterans Legislation. Click here to send a letter, e-mail or fax to your representative. If you would like to call your Senator, visit the Senate's website for your Senator's phone number and contact information.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Background
Military/Veteran Pain Fact Sheet (pdf)
Although today's body armor and rapid evacuation to medical care are saving lives, there are more non-fatal injuries than any previous war in US history. Instances of amputation are double previous rates. Pain management is critical to restoring the lives of our servicemen and women.
The Veterans Pain Care Act of 2007 (S 2160) was introduced into the Senate on October 15 and was co-sponsored by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH). This bill is designed to focus attention on pain management and pain research as a new generation of veterans suffering from pain enters the Veterans’ Administration healthcare system; joining an already substantial group of aging veterans from prior wars. This bill has now been incorporated into the Veterans Mental Health Improvement Act of 2007, S 2162. Please contact your Senator to ensure they support our veterans and this critical legislation.
This legislation and our Veterans need your support!
IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU ACT TODAY!
There is strength in numbers!
Show your support for Veterans by taking action
and asking your Senators to support this bill.
Thank you for being part of this united effort to eliminate the
undertreatment of Pain and to support our Veterans!
I have not yet seen any facts or figures of the number of veterans coming home with injuries that are resulting in migraine and/or head pain, but I suspect the numbers will be substantial.
Below is a request from the American Pain Foundation for a few moments of your time to familiarize yourself with and support this legislation.
Chronic pain is often terribly under-treated. This act calls for focus on pain management and pain research as a new generation of veterans suffering from pain enters the Veterans’ Administration health care system. In helping your veteran neighbor, you may inadvertently be helping yourself.
Ellen
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED
Veterans Bill to be considered in the Senate this week!
MilVet3
To All Pain Advocates, Members of the American Pain Foundation,
and supporters of Veterans:
Senator Akaka, Chairman of the Veterans Committee, introduced the Veterans Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 (S 2160) that would require the Veterans Administration (VA) to establish a comprehensive pain management program for Veterans. This legislation has now been revised and supported by Senator Burr, Ranking Minority Member of the Veterans Committee. The content of the Veterans Pain Care Policy Act has now been incorporated into S 2162, as amended. It is expected that the combined legislation will be considered by the full Senate later this week.
We are asking that you contact your Senator TODAY to request their support for this critical Veterans Legislation. Click here to send a letter, e-mail or fax to your representative. If you would like to call your Senator, visit the Senate's website for your Senator's phone number and contact information.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Background
Military/Veteran Pain Fact Sheet (pdf)
Although today's body armor and rapid evacuation to medical care are saving lives, there are more non-fatal injuries than any previous war in US history. Instances of amputation are double previous rates. Pain management is critical to restoring the lives of our servicemen and women.
The Veterans Pain Care Act of 2007 (S 2160) was introduced into the Senate on October 15 and was co-sponsored by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH). This bill is designed to focus attention on pain management and pain research as a new generation of veterans suffering from pain enters the Veterans’ Administration healthcare system; joining an already substantial group of aging veterans from prior wars. This bill has now been incorporated into the Veterans Mental Health Improvement Act of 2007, S 2162. Please contact your Senator to ensure they support our veterans and this critical legislation.
This legislation and our Veterans need your support!
IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU ACT TODAY!
There is strength in numbers!
Show your support for Veterans by taking action
and asking your Senators to support this bill.
Thank you for being part of this united effort to eliminate the
undertreatment of Pain and to support our Veterans!
Tags: apf, bill, head, headache, injury, legislation, migraine, pain, s2162, senate
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brenda on -
Thank you so much for sharing this information with us.
Our veterans deserve as much support as we can give them.
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Permalink Reply by Paula on -
Ellen - my sentiments echo those of the prior two posters. My father in law is a retired Vietnam veteran and has struggled with migraines for many years. One of his worst migraines happened when he came into town to see his son and I married. The night before our wedding he ended up in the ER and unfortunately was not able to attend our wedding the next day.
I will be sure and pass this information along to him as he is still very involved in military life, even though he is retired.
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Permalink Reply by Abi on
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I absolutely agree that we should support this, and I have already acted. Got the same thing in my email today. Still, please do a bit of research on your statements about migraines? Not too long ago, I read information about migraines, post-traumatic headaches, and the like. It was written by a migraine specialist and researcher. The information stated that trauma and the like cannot cause a person to have migraines, BUT it can cause some migraine like headaches, some of which respond to triptans.
I mean this with all due respect, Ellen. Just wanted to pass on this information.
Abi
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Schnakenberg on -
Hey, no problem Abi!
There does seem to be some issue with triggers, causes and the like and injury seems to be no different. The more we think we know about migraine and headache, the less we realize we know. That's why there is more and more research going on all the time, and I sure hope it's successful! There are many pieces to this puzzle...
As someone who has suffered head trauma and migraine with aura, it took a long time to convince docs that it had NOTHING at all to do with my migraines, tho they all insisted at one time or other that the trauma was responsible, and my current neuro still brings it up from time to time. I've seen one of the top migraine research clinics and gotten the same thing more than once. They all have to be reminded that I had the trauma AFTER the migraines began. It may have played a part in their chronic nature etc, but not in the migraine attacks themselves.
In a nutshell this is the info they gave me -- genetic susceptibility doesn't mean you get Migraines, but that you have the capability to get them. They considered head trauma to be a classic "set of circumstances" to turn the genetic potential for migraine into a reality.
There is always new info coming out tho, and I hope we are learning from the open and closed head traumas that are being experienced by our veterans and maybe those conclusions have changed. That's medicine, isn't it, or at least I hope that's what it's about... learning more. If you have other info, please do pass it along as I'd love to get my hands on it and do think it deserves to be printed in a post all its own. I've 'met' many people along the way whose migraines began after trauma. One had them disappear after the trauma! If they don't have a good diagnosis, they might like to be made aware of it and maybe it would change their treatment.
Another way trauma/injury can be linked to migraine, is when a separate headache acts as a trigger in a migraine patient. Consider cervicogenic headache. Cervicogenic headache is a different type of headache but can trigger migraine attacks in some people, as can stress headaches, eyestrain headaches, etc. Some physicians even believe in a so called "headache continuum", believing that all headaches are essentially versions of the same thing.
I don't have all the answers, but I am looking all the time for new ones, and I never want to stop the learning process. If you've got something new, please do let us know!
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Schnakenberg on
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As a post script to my initial post, I would like to clarify that a brain injury (see definition) need not be the direct result of trauma, tho it often is.
Other causes of brain injury might be vitamin deficiency, toxins, hypoxia, illness, stroke, hemorrhage, etc. --all potentials for our veterans and ourselves.
The definition of secondary headache is fairly wide open to both headache caused directly as a result of the primary disorder, or triggered/exacerbated as a direct result of the primary disorder. More information on these new specifics of these classifications and encouragement for dual diagnosis in some cases, can be found on the International Headache Society’s website here and on trauma here in which the introduction reads:
"A variety of pain patterns may develop after head injury, and may closely resemble primary headache disorders, most frequently tension-type headache, in more than 80% of patients. In some cases (secondary headache- notation mine), typical migraine with or without aura may be triggered, and a cluster-like syndrome has been described in a few patients.”
Also to be kept in mind is that other trauma or disorders may result in migraine, and headache.
A veteran who has lost kidney function and needs dialysis may end up with dialysis headache he deals with every time he goes in for treatment (usually 3 times weekly).
Another who has been on long term pain meds may end up with chronic medication overuse headache or rebound. In coming home he may find the need to detox from drugs or medications (even caffeine) taken to help him deal mentally or physically with his experience, also inducing headache which can include migraine.
The examples really could potentially be endless, and I honestly hate to even think about the suffering involved in all cases.
It seems there are many ways that a veteran (or you and I for that matter) can suffer primary or secondary migraine and headache. My opening statement was meant to be general rather than specific and I regret that my intent was not as clear as I had intended.
I hope this has helped.
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