Coverage changes for shock-wave treatments concern veterans

Justin Yaassoub is a proud veteran who loathes complaining.

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The Edmonton-based father of two says he is grateful to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) for how it supports people such as himself after military life.

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"I love what I did, and I love that I served," he said.

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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 significantly limit access to medical shock-wave treatments.

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The therapy is a non-invasive approach involving low-intensity sound waves, often used to treat conditions such as chronic pain. VAC says it has covered the therapy since 2017.

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Several veterans and Legion representatives are expressing their concerns about the changes, planned to kick in as ofDecember, a time when government departments are expected to be looking for ways of reducing expenditures after the release of the federal budget on Tuesday. They say the department's plan will carry both emotional and physical consequences, including for vets who turn to the treatment for help with erectile dysfunction.

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VAC detailed its planned coverage changes in a July 24 letter. The department informed veterans in the letter that its benefit review committee had recommended that low-intensity extra corporeal shock-wave therapy, also known as shock-wave therapy, be considered only for chronic tendinopathies (lasting tendon conditions).

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It also said three sessions per tendinopathy would be covered in a lifetime, as opposed to the current plan, which has no set cap.

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Robbi Henderson-Canning, a spokesperson for VAC, said in a statement that as new health and medical evidence becomes available, the department will review it and make a recommendation on whether to include this benefit as part of health care coverage.

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She said 567 veterans have been reimbursed for the therapy since 2022, adding that it is commonly used in both physiotherapy chiropractic care to address conditions affecting the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and feet. "Veterans Affairs Canada regularly reviews available medical information and research to ensure safety and efficacy in usage, in particular where treatments or therapies are being used for new conditions," she said. "As a result, Veterans Affairs Canada has recommended that extracorporeal shock-wave therapy be considered for chronic tendinopathies only."

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Mr. Yaassoub said the department's decision has been met with disappointment and dismay among veterans who rely on the treatments.

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Six months ago, he started to receive shock-wave treatments at Echelon Wellness in Edmonton for chronic back and shoulder pain. He suffers from two slipped discs and a condition called degenerative disc disease.

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Mr. Yaassoub - who carried about 80 pounds of gear while in the Special Forces, including ammunition, a firearm and helmet - has become a proponent of the treatments. He said the therapy has both increased mobility and offered pain relief, something especially critical for him while he and his wife raise two active boys, aged 3 and 1.

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At first, he said, he received shock-wave treatment on a weekly basis. He now goes every two weeks. The cost, covered by VAC, is around $350 a session.

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Mr. Yaassoub said several friends turned to the therapy for help with a different, delicate challenge: erectile dysfunction. Research shows veterans experience a higher rate of sexual dysfunction, and there is a correlation between it and post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

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Advocates for the treatment say it helps trigger blood vessel regeneration in the shaft of the penis to enable longer-lasting erections.

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"I know how it's changed people's marriages and sex life and dignity," Mr. Yaassoub said.

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Many veterans shared in online forums that they were devastated with VAC's changes, he said. Mr. Yaassoub said shock-wave therapy offered a "glimpse of hope" that is now being taken away.

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"It's a blessing to have Veterans Affairs be beside us, to support us post service," he said. "This is one of the support tools that they provide that has been really beneficial. So it just puts into question, why would they remove it?"