Soldier Injuries and Physical Therapy

There has never been an institution that brought out as many musculoskeletal injuries as soldiers in the military. From physical training to military service, major complaints of young adult soldiers when they consult with physical therapists are painful musculoskeletal muscles. A musculoskeletal system consists of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs and blood vessels. Movement deficiencies and muscle imbalance are major causes of painful musculoskeletal conditions.

Why do soldiers suffer from musculoskeletal pains?

Soldiers go through extreme fitness training programs from the time they enter basic training to build muscle strength and endurance and maintain this when they get deployed in field assignments. Many times, the culture of specialized units prohibit rehabilitation for injuries that may have been kept from worsening had it been given immediate proper care and attention in the first place. These injuries could result from certain conditions, like:

• Incorrect Exercise Program: Soldiers go through basic to advance training programs because of the strenuous nature of their jobs. Unfortunately, programs in the regular army, as opposed to special forces, tend to employ improper exercise routine that overwork some muscles, so they become overused and tight while neglecting others, so they become weak and lengthened. Advanced exercises don’t utilize proper body mechanics leading to injury, as our bodies are designed to move a very specific way.
• Battle Scars: Injuries sustained in the course of their jobs improperly treated or not referred out by medical staff in the proper manner may also have prevented them from being treated by physical therapists in time and conditions in squad training make personal injuries worse. Only when they get home can they properly consult for correct treatment and physical therapy.
• Living Conditions: Aside from improper exercise, there is a lack of health personnel in camps and fields. Staff like strength and conditioning coaches, physical therapists and sports psychologists are not on hand to facilitate preventive treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation.

Soldiers with musculoskeletal injuries must go through stages of treatment – from the initial injury to surgery, to the rehab process wherein physical therapy rehabilitation is extremely important.

At Fusion Physical Therapy, our injury experts will conduct a thorough examination taking your medical history into account, then test for a range of motion and joint stability. We will then design a treatment plan specifically for your needs.

Contact Fusion Physical Therapy for an appointment today.