Scrip Companies highlights role of CAM to successfully address pain relief for growing number of aging Americans

November 12, 2014 — Scrip Companies, a global distributor of equipment and supplies, serving complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professionals, home health providers, and consumers, has announced the release of its White Paper, “Aging Americans Find New Avenues for Pain Relief with Complementary and Alternative Medicine.” Uniquely positioned as the largest distributor for CAM professionals — chiropractic, massage therapy, and acupuncture — Scrip explores issues related to a growing senior population and the fundamental behavioral shift toward CAM.

“Baby Boomers are re-examining their priorities and taking better care of themselves, following basic health principles, and, increasingly, turning to CAM as an important part of their overall healthcare,” said Kray Kibler, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Scrip. “To meet this coming upsurge in demand for real healthcare value, fully-integrated CAM providers and CAM insurance benefits will play a critical role.”

The growth in the number and proportion of older adults in the United States has reached unprecedented levels, creating a number of issues for Baby Boomers, including a rise in chronic conditions, greater demand for pain relief, overuse of pharmaceuticals, and high prescription expenditures.

“The purpose of CAM is to move patients toward complete wellness, helping them to discover and understand the hidden causes of health challenges, creating a customized and comprehensive treatment plan, and investing in healthy aging to achieve lower disability rates down the road,” Kibler said.

The White Paper cites a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that found among insured patients with back pain, fibromyalgia, and menopause symptoms, those who use CAM have lower insurance expenditures than those who do not use CAM. The study reported that CAM therapies avoid high technology and offer inexpensive remedies.

“Many traditional healthcare professionals now integrate CAM into their treatment programs,” Kibler said, noting that CAM therapies emphasize the natural healing ability of the body and prevention versus the approach of treating disease and its symptoms. “The NIH estimates 18 million Americans receive massage therapy each year, while chiropractors treat more than 30 million people annually.”

Further demonstrating the mainstream acceptance of CAM treatment, The Mayo Clinic has incorporated massage therapy into post-surgical treatment; clinicians at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital manage acute and chronic conditions with both traditional allopathic care and holistic approaches; and California now allows chiropractic services for reimbursement when they are provided in federally qualified health centers (FQHC) and rural health clinics.

Download “Aging Americans Find New Avenues for Pain Relief with Complementary and Alternative Medicine” here.