09/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/30/2024 15:25
Injuries are the leading reason for military medical visits each year.
Department of Defense active duty service members require medical treatment for injuries almost 5 million times each year (for around 1.5 million individual injuries). Injuries cost millions of lost duty and training days, and billions of dollars each year.
"Some injuries are caused by acute trauma, such as from falling or a vehicle accident, but the majority of military injuries are cumulative micro-traumatic injuries, often referred to as overuse injuries," said U.S. Army Capt. Regis Pearson, a physiologist and chief of the Injury Prevention Branch for Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen.
A recent military report shows that over 75% of all injuries to active duty service members are due to cumulative microtrauma.
"Most of these overuse injuries usually involve the musculoskeletal, or MSK, system which includes bones, muscles, tendons, as well as ligaments and other joint tissues," said Pearson. "A doctor may use a medical code for 'pain' in a specific body area if a more identifiable injury diagnosis is not determined. Because the pain is a result of damage to tissues in that body area, the diagnosis is still categorized as an injury."
In a 2019 study of three years of soldier medical data, almost a quarter of all the initial service members' injury visits were for a diagnosis of MSK "pain" to a body part.
"The back, especially the lower back, is a particularly common body area associated with injury pain codes," said Pearson. "The knee, ankle, and shoulder are the next most frequent body areas linked to pain diagnoses. Though somewhat less common, hip pain is also a problem, especially among female service members."
Pearson said the common physiological factor of these pain codes is that they usually are associated with the complex tissues of a joint, which is not the same as delayed muscle soreness.
"There are two types of muscle pain," he said. "Acute or immediate pain in a muscle felt during an activity is indication of a strain or tear that needs medical attention. Muscle soreness that develops a day or two after an exercise is typically referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS."
Like other forms of MSK pain, DOMS is a form of tissue damage that the body responds to by increasing inflammation, said Pearson.
"Unlike joint or bone damage, however, the body is often able to repair the microscopic muscle damage that is associated with DOMS in two to three days," said Pearson. "This is what inspired the phrase 'no pain, no gain.' Unfortunately, misunderstanding the "no pain no gain" concept can lead to more serious or even chronic injury-related conditions."
Pearson reminds everyone that this phrase doesn't apply to joints-such as the spinal area, knee, ankle, shoulder, or hip-and corrects some common misconceptions, including:
Pearson said though the long-term conditions that result from MSK pain are common and often unavoidable, their severity can be reduced.
First, reduce your chances of injury by addressing leading risk factors of injury:
Second, seek medical evaluation of problematic MSK pain early on, and follow medical guidance for recovery time and restricted duty or activity. Otherwise, you may develop chronic pain.
Chronic pain, which is pain that lasts longer than six months, can impact your mood and make it difficult to work and participate in everyday activities. Some examples of chronic MSK pain are back pain, arthritis, and other joint problems.
Pearson said that maintaining a healthy body weight and fitness levels can increase your resilience against injury; it is critical to stay in tune with your body's pain feelings.
"Trying to 'tough it out' can make things worse in some situations," he said. "It is important to differentiate between mild DOMS and a more serious pain. Stop activity for more serious conditions and follow your provider's recovery guidance."
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