Access, Not Abandonment: Why Veterans Need Shockwave Therapy Options (and What Canada's MAID Data Really Shows)
Access, Not Abandonment: Why Veterans Need Shockwave Therapy Options (and What Canada's MAID Data Really Shows)
Now, that access is being restricted.
In a CTV News Edmonton report, veteran Justin Yaassoub describes receiving extracorporeal shockwave therapy multiple times per week for months to manage chronic pain and regain range of motion. He credits it with helping him bend, lift, and care for his child without spasms and debilitating pain. But Veterans Affairs Canada announced it will limit coverage to three shockwave sessions per veteran per lifetime, and narrow coverage to chronic tendinopathies.
For anyone who cares about veterans, this story raises a bigger question:
When people are suffering, do we expand access to care, or restrict options until the system effectively tells them to live smaller lives?
Shockwave therapy: what it is (and why it matters)
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is a non-invasive procedure that uses targeted sound waves to support healing in musculoskeletal conditions. It has been used clinically for decades.
Yaassoub's experience in the article reflects what many patients report: shockwave therapy can reduce pain enough to make rehab possible again, so strengthening and mobility work can actually stick.
HyperWave is the same therapy category
HyperWave is the same therapy category discussed in the article: extracorporeal shockwave therapy.
That matters because the debate isn't just about one clinic or one country, it's about whether non-invasive, function-restoring therapies remain available to the people who need them most, including:
Veterans living with chronic pain
Patients with limited mobility
People who are vulnerable to being dismissed as "too complex" or "too expensive"
The policy tension: evidence-based vs. real-world outcomes
Veterans Affairs Canada says it is narrowing coverage because the evidence is very limited and weak. The clinic leader quoted in the piece argues the opposite, that limiting sessions is like starting care and not finishing it.
Whatever side you take, one thing is clear: a lifetime cap of three sessions is not a clinical protocol. It's an administrative limit.
And chronic pain doesn't respond to administrative limits.
A separate but related reality: MAID is rising, and Canada warns against ranking it as a "cause of death".
It's impossible to talk about healthcare access in Canada without acknowledging the growth of MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying).
Health Canada's Sixth Annual Report on MAID (covering the 2024 calendar year, published November 2025) reports:
16,499 MAID provisions in 2024
MAID accounted for 5.1% of deaths in Canada in 2024
Important nuance: the same Health Canada report explicitly states that MAID is not classified as a cause of death under World Health Organization standards, and that MAID provisions should not be compared to cause-of-death statistics to rank MAID as a cause of death.
So when commentators say MAID is the 5th leading cause of death, that claim is not how Health Canada recommends interpreting the data.
What this means for Americans (and for veterans)
This is the heart of the message:
When systems restrict access to non-invasive therapies that help people function, the burden doesn't disappear.
It shifts to the patient, and often to the family.
And it disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable: those with chronic pain, disability, and limited resources.
For Americans, supporting therapies like HyperWave isn't about importing Canada's politics. It's about defending a principle:
People deserve more options for healing and function, not fewer.
Especially veterans, who already paid for their injuries in service.
Bottom line
The CTV story is a warning flare: access can be reduced quickly, even for therapies veterans say are working.
If you believe in protecting veterans and the vulnerable from being sidelined by bureaucracy, the answer is not to narrow the menu of care. It's to keep effective, non-invasive options on the table and to keep pushing for better evidence, better protocols, and better outcomes.
Sources
Health Canada. Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada (2024 calendar year; published November 2025). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2024.html
Dordt University, In All Things. The Cautionary Tale of Euthanasia in Canada.https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/the-cautionary-tale-of-euthanasia-in-canada
National Review. Euthanasia Fifth-Leading Cause of Death in Canada.https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/euthanasia-fifth-leading-cause-of-death-in-canada/
CTV News Edmonton: https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/veteran-health-care-firm-urges-federal-department-to-reverse-decision-to-limit-shockwave-therapy-coverage/
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical, legal, or policy advice.
