The Department of Veterans Affairs, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, will begin work on a research initiative to look at non-opioid treatment options for servicemembers. According to The Washington Post, the research will span the next five years and cost $21.7 million. The initiative will involve 13 separate research projects.
The NIH reported that the studies will be done in an effort to help soldiers dealing with both physical pain and mental health issues such as problems sleeping, post-traumatic stress disorder and even substance abuse during life after service.
According to the Post, most soldiers returning from war with these issues are being given opioids, which are linked to troubling side effects and can be highly addictive. The NIH noted that since 44 percent of soldiers report having to manage chronic pain post-deployment, finding safe and healthy treatments is essential. Some of the alternative medical procedures that will be researched include meditation, hypnosis and the use of chiropractors and morning light.
Funding for the projects will come from the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and National Institute on Drug Abuse and the VA's Health Services Research and Development Division.