Physical Therapy started as a profession in the United States in the early 1900’s. It formed its roots at the beginning of World War II with advent of polio and the return of injured soldiers from Europe. As a profession, physical therapy has always been closely associated with the treatment and continued care of soldiers, helping them to return to their stateside lives or back to the battlefield.
As time has passed, both war and physical therapy methods have changed. With the enhancements in body armor, improvement in battlefield surgical care, and refinement in hospital care after primary on-site surgical interventions, soldiers are now surviving injuries that were previously fatal. This, along with the preciseness of new weapons, creates new physical and mental obstacles for both the soldiers and physical therapists to overcome. Among some of the most common is an increasing number of troops returning with traumatic brain injuries.
According to many studies, between 10 and 25 percent of all soldiers deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq are coming back with mild traumatic brain injuries. Symptoms include but aren’t limited to:
•Headaches or neck pain that do not go away;
•Difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions;
•Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading;
•Getting lost or easily confused;
•Feeling tired all of the time, having no energy or motivation;
•Mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no reason);
•Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping);
•Light-headedness, dizziness, or loss of balance;
•Urge to vomit (nausea);
•Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, or distractions;
•Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily;
•Loss of sense of smell or taste; and
•Ringing in the ears. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
With the litany of common symptoms, physical therapists and injured soldiers alike are faced with the daily challenges of figuring out how to overcome their injuries and what methods of treatments would be most beneficial. According to an article published by the APTA, US Army Captain and APTA member Matthew R. Scherer, PT, MPT, NCS states that, ”there is limited scientific and medical literature available about the management of orthopedic, integumentary, neurocognitive, and neurobehavioral effects in survivors of blast, there is even less research addressing the vestibular symptoms of these injuries.” Because there is not significant research on “best practice” for these patients, we must tailor the therapy to address the specific need of each soldier. Using such techniques as word association (to increase retention), balance rehabilitation, and careful planning with the soldiers’ medical team is imperative to create a successful and amicable environment that promotes the best rehabilitation possible.
For more information about traumatic brain injuries in soldiers returning from the battlefield visit the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center’s website.
Picture from the Huffington Post.
Ryan Orser
As time has passed, both war and physical therapy methods have changed. With the enhancements in body armor, improvement in battlefield surgical care, and refinement in hospital care after primary on-site surgical interventions, soldiers are now surviving injuries that were previously fatal. This, along with the preciseness of new weapons, creates new physical and mental obstacles for both the soldiers and physical therapists to overcome. Among some of the most common is an increasing number of troops returning with traumatic brain injuries.
According to many studies, between 10 and 25 percent of all soldiers deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq are coming back with mild traumatic brain injuries. Symptoms include but aren’t limited to:
•Headaches or neck pain that do not go away;
•Difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions;
•Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading;
•Getting lost or easily confused;
•Feeling tired all of the time, having no energy or motivation;
•Mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no reason);
•Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping);
•Light-headedness, dizziness, or loss of balance;
•Urge to vomit (nausea);
•Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, or distractions;
•Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily;
•Loss of sense of smell or taste; and
•Ringing in the ears. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
With the litany of common symptoms, physical therapists and injured soldiers alike are faced with the daily challenges of figuring out how to overcome their injuries and what methods of treatments would be most beneficial. According to an article published by the APTA, US Army Captain and APTA member Matthew R. Scherer, PT, MPT, NCS states that, ”there is limited scientific and medical literature available about the management of orthopedic, integumentary, neurocognitive, and neurobehavioral effects in survivors of blast, there is even less research addressing the vestibular symptoms of these injuries.” Because there is not significant research on “best practice” for these patients, we must tailor the therapy to address the specific need of each soldier. Using such techniques as word association (to increase retention), balance rehabilitation, and careful planning with the soldiers’ medical team is imperative to create a successful and amicable environment that promotes the best rehabilitation possible.
For more information about traumatic brain injuries in soldiers returning from the battlefield visit the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center’s website.
Picture from the Huffington Post.
Ryan Orser
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