Chronic Pain and Sleep Outreach Kit

VA public service outreach kit informing Veterans with important benefits, services, and programs

Overview

Chronic Pain and Sleep Issues

Sleep, Heal, and Thrive

Sleep and Chronic Pain Veteran Outreach Kit

Many Veterans may not be aware of life-changing VA benefits they’ve earned—and deserve—through their military service. This outreach kit includes flyers, social media graphics, and suggested corresponding language, radio public service announcements (PSA), newsletter content, and a sample blog post to help you spread the word about getting help with sleep and chronic pain. Please share this information broadly with your Veteran networks, family, and friends.

Sleep, Heal, and Thrive

Context

Let’s talk about something real: chronic pain and sleep problems. If you’re a Veteran, you probably know these too well. That ache that just won’t quit, maybe it’s from your service, an old injury, or just life. You can’t remember the last time you woke up feeling rested. Pain and sleep problems can weigh you down in ways that mess with every part of your life, but here’s the thing: you don’t have to just “deal with it.” VA has personalized treatment options, whether you’re near a VA facility or not, and even if you’re not currently using VA healthcare.

So, let’s cut to the chase: if VA can help ease your pain and help you get more sleep, we can help you feel more like yourself. And VA has a toolbox full of ways to do just that.

As U.S. Navy Veteran Eric Drennan puts it: ‘I deeply appreciate VA’s approach to managing chronic pain, which is vital for overall well-being.”

Chronic pain and sleep problems could be connected to your military service, and you may be eligible for free or low-cost VA health care to help. Either way, VA can help you.

Feel like yourself again with personalized options depending on your needs:

For Chronic Pain: Physical therapy and rehab, acupuncture, chiropractic care, medication management, yoga and stretching, behavioral therapy, pain education and self-management, nerve blocks, injections, or surgically implanted devices for pain relief.

“What the Tele-Pain services have done for me in the last few weeks is more than what’s been done in the last ten years.” – Vietnam Veteran

For Sleep: Sleep studies, CPAP devices, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, relaxation techniques, stimulus control therapy, medications, education, and lifestyle coaching.

The first step? Enroll today and see a provider. Even if you don’t have a VA close by, VA offers care in your community, closer than you think.

Online: VA.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction

Phone:Call VA toll-free at 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411), Option 2.
In-person:Visit your nearest VA medical center (https://www.VA.gov/find-locations).“Veterans with pain or sleep issues need to get help at VA; it was the best decision I ever made.” 39-year-old Iraq U.S Marine Corps Veteran

Social Media

Suggested Tweet (X), post (Facebook) or Instagram: If you’re a Veteran struggling with sleep issues or chronic pain, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to navigate it alone. VA offers treatments, programs, and support designed specifically for you. Reach out, get connected, and take the next step toward relief. 🇺🇸 #Veterans #VAMission #SleepHealth #ChronicPain
Suggested Tweet (X), post (Facebook) or Instagram: Trouble sleeping? Living with chronic pain? VA has dedicated resources and evidence-based treatments that can help. Don’t wait to get support — reach out to your VA care team and explore your options. Your health matters. 🇺🇸 #Veterans #VAHealth #Sleep #PainManagement
Suggested Tweet (X), post (Facebook) or Instagram: Sleep shouldn’t be a battle. Chronic pain shouldn’t be your “normal.” VA is here to help Veterans find real relief through personalized care and proven therapies. You deserve rest. You deserve comfort. Ask your VA care team what’s available. 🇺🇸 #Veterans #VAHealth
Suggested Tweet (X), post (Facebook) or Instagram: Veterans: Fighting chronic pain or sleepless nights? VA has your back with treatments and support that work. Reach out. 🇺🇸 #Veterans #VAHealth #Sleep #PainCare

Sample Blog Post

Managing Chronic Pain and Sleep Issues: How VA Can Help Veterans Rest and Recover

For many Veterans, chronic pain and sleep problems go hand in hand. Ongoing pain makes it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling rested. Meanwhile, poor sleep can intensify pain, drain your energy, and impact your ability to work, exercise, or enjoy daily life. The good news: you don’t have to live this way, and you don’t have to figure it out alone.

VA offers a wide range of evidence-based treatments—both medical and non-medical—to help Veterans take control of pain and reclaim healthy sleep. Pain and sleep are connected.

Chronic pain can disrupt the body’s natural rhythm, making it difficult to get restorative sleep. When the brain is on “high alert,” muscles stay tense, and the nervous system doesn’t get the downtime it needs.

In turn, lack of sleep heightens pain sensitivity. This cycle can feel impossible to break—but with the right support, it can be interrupted.

Here’s a quick rundown of what VA offers for chronic pain, designed to meet you where you are:
• Whole Health Approach: VA’s Whole Health program looks at your life—nutrition, sleep, stress, movement—and builds a plan to help you feel better overall. Think of personalized coaching to tackle pain from all angles, available through VA or local providers.

• Physical Therapy: Got a bad back, sore joints, or lingering injuries? VA’s physical therapists can create a plan to improve mobility and reduce pain without relying solely on meds. The Community Care Network can connect you to local therapists if you’re not near a VA.

• Acupuncture: Yep, the VA offers acupuncture! It’s been shown to help with chronic pain, and many Veterans swear by it for relief. Through Community Care, you can find licensed acupuncturists in your area if a VA clinic isn’t nearby.

• Pain Management Programs: From cognitive behavioral therapy for pain to mindfulness techniques, VA has non-medication options to help you manage discomfort, often accessible through telehealth or local providers.

Non-opioid Pain Treatments: These may include anti-inflammatory medications, nerve-targeted treatments, chiropractic care, acupuncture, or other integrative therapies
Whole Health & Complementary Therapies: VA’s Whole Health model empowers Veterans to explore mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, massage therapy, and other practices that reduce stress and pain naturallyCommunity Care Network: Live far from a VA facility? VA’s Community Care Network lets you see doctors, specialists, and therapists in your community—often at little or no cost. No VA trip required.

You don’t have to be in pain. These options are there for you, whether you’re down the road from a VA medical center or hours away in a small town. Starting is as simple as a conversation.

VA Services for Sleep Issues: Sleep problems aren’t “just part of getting older.” They’re treatable, and VA has specialized care to help you rest better.

Sleep Studies & Sleep Disorder Diagnosis
VA providers can evaluate issues like sleep apnea, insomnia, night terrors, or disrupted sleep patterns.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
CBT-I: Considered one of the most effective treatments for chronic insomnia—and it’s available across VA, including through telehealth.
CPAP & Sleep Apnea Care: If diagnosed with sleep apnea, VA provides equipment like CPAP machines, supplies, and follow-up support.
Medication Review & Alternatives

Sometimes medications for pain or mental health can affect sleep. VA clinicians help adjust your regimen safely and effectively.

How to Get Started

If chronic pain or sleep issues are a part of your life, you don’t have to go it alone, no matter where you live. Here’s how you can act right now:

1. Online: VA.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction

Call or Text for Help: Not sure where to start? Dial, 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411). Or contact us online through Ask VA
Need help finding a VA facility closest to you. Go to https://www.VA.gov/find-locations to see how close VA is to you.
Check Out VA Resources: Visit VA.gov/REACH to explore pain management options and Community Care details. You’ll find info on Whole Health, local providers, and more.
Reach out to your nearest VA medical center (find it at VA.gov) or ask about Community Care options. They can walk you through eligibility and next steps, even if you’re not enrolled or live far away.

Reach out today. Relief starts with a conversation.