I’ve never been big on medicine. It’s rare that I ever reach for the ibuprofen in the cabinet and even more unlikely that I’ll go for anything stronger. That’s not to say that I’m a “suck-it-up” kind of person. I’m also not big on pain and do my best to avoid it. The way I’ve reconciled these two is with preventative care.
Yes, I’m talking about alternative medicine. I’m a huge proponent of chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage therapy and physical therapy. It just makes more sense to help your body’s natural healing process along than to interrupt it with side-effect-loaded drugs and surgeries. And it’s better for you in the long run.
TRICARE provides medical insurance, and it’s great medical insurance at that. Never in my life have I had better medical coverage with any other company. Unfortunately, it’s rare for TRICARE to approve any kind of alternative medicine. I feel like this does a disservice to military members and their families as well as the insurance company itself. Preventative care — such as regular chiropractic adjustments and nutrition care — can save a lot of money in medical bills that could be incurred in the future.
Plus, isn’t it better to not be sick at all than to wait until you are sick to fix the problem? Still, with TRICARE coverage so all-inclusive in the medical field, our family can afford some preventive care that TRICARE doesn’t cover, and that’s quite helpful. I just think TRICARE and people in general — civilian and military — could do themselves a big favor by opening up their minds a little to alternative methods of healing beyond traditional medical care.