Justin Yaassoub started to receive shock-wave treatment for chronic back pain and shoulder pain. He suffers from two slipped discs and degenerative disc disease.
Justin Yaassoub is a proud veteran wholoathes complaining.
The Edmonton-based father of two says he isgrateful to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) for how it supports people such ashimself after military life.
"I love what I did, and I love that Iserved," he said.
But Mr. Yaassoub, a 37-year-old formerSpecial Forces member who left in 2023 after 16 years in the military,is speaking out about planned departmental changes that will significantlylimit access to medical shock-wave treatments.
The therapy is a non-invasive approachinvolving low-intensity sound waves, often used to treat conditions such aschronic pain. VAC says it has covered the therapy since 2017.
Several veterans and Legion representativesare expressing their concerns about the changes, planned to kick in as ofDecember, a time when government departments are expected to be looking forways of reducing expenditures after the release of the federal budget onTuesday. They say the department's plan will carry both emotional and physicalconsequences, including for vets who turn to the treatment for help witherectile dysfunction.
VAC detailed its planned coverage changesin a July 24 letter. The department informed veterans in the letter that itsbenefit review committee had recommended that low-intensity extracorporealshock-wave therapy, also known as shock-wave therapy, be considered only forchronic tendinopathies (lasting tendon conditions).
It also said three sessions pertendinopathy would be covered in a lifetime, as opposed to the current plan,which has no set cap.
Robbi Henderson-Canning, a spokesperson forVAC, said in a statement that as new health and medical evidence becomesavailable, the department will review it and make a recommendation on whetherto include this benefit as part of health care coverage.
She said 567 veterans have been reimbursedfor the therapy since 2022, adding that it is commonly used in bothphysiotherapy chiropractic care to address conditions affecting the shoulders,elbows, hips, knees and feet. "Veterans Affairs Canada regularly reviewsavailable medical information and research to ensure safety and efficacy inusage, in particular where treatments or therapies are being used for newconditions," she said. "As a result, Veterans Affairs Canada hasrecommended that extracorporeal shock-wave therapy be considered for chronictendinopathies only."
Mr. Yaassoub said the department's decisionhas been met with disappointment and dismay among veterans who rely on thetreatments.
Six months ago, he started to receiveshock-wave treatments at Echelon Wellness in Edmonton for chronic back andshoulder pain. He suffers from two slipped discs and a condition calleddegenerative disc disease.
Mr. Yaassoub - who carriedabout 80 pounds of gear while in the Special Forces, including ammunition, afirearm and helmet - has become a proponent of the treatments. He said thetherapy has both increased mobility and offered pain relief, somethingespecially critical for him while he and his wife raise two active boys, aged 3and 1.
At first, he said, he received shock-wavetreatment on a weekly basis. He now goes every two weeks. The cost, covered byVAC, is around $350 a session.
Mr. Yaassoub said several friends turned tothe therapy for help with a different, delicate challenge: erectiledysfunction. Research shows veterans experience a higher rate of sexualdysfunction, and there is a correlation between it and post-traumatic stressdisorder or PTSD.
Advocates for the treatment say it helpstrigger blood vessel regeneration in the shaft of the penis to enablelonger-lasting erections.
"I know how it's changed people'smarriages and sex life and dignity," Mr. Yaassoub said.
Many veterans shared in online forums thatthey were devastated with VAC's changes, he said. Mr. Yaassoub said shock-wavetherapy offered a "glimpse of hope" that is now being taken away.
"It's a blessing to have VeteransAffairs be beside us, to support us postservice," he said. "This isone of the support tools that they provide that has been really beneficial. Soit just puts into question, why would they remove it?"
