ABSTRACT
The present article reviews the growing prevalence of comorbid pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the military. This has been caused by the ongoing military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, where new combat conditions/strategies are causing these comorbid conditions. Fortunately, comprehensive interdisciplinary treatment programs, originally developed for a civilian population and in academic settings, are being successfully "translated" or utilized in the military environment. Recent data demonstrating this translational clinical intervention are presented. Finally, challenges encountered when translating these interventions in a military environment are also discussed.
Subject(s)
Combat Disorders/complications , Combat Disorders/psychology , Military Personnel/psychology , Pain/complications , Pain/psychology , Patient Care Team , Psychotherapy/methods , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Chronic Disease , Combat Disorders/diagnosis , Combat Disorders/rehabilitation , Comorbidity , Cooperative Behavior , Diffusion of Innovation , Disability Evaluation , Humans , Interdisciplinary Communication , Pain/diagnosis , Pain/rehabilitation , Rehabilitation, Vocational/methods , Rehabilitation, Vocational/psychology , Social Environment , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/rehabilitationABSTRACT
Chronic pain related to musculoskeletal conditions is the leading cause of medical discharge from active duty military service. The present study is the first randomized controlled trial of an interdisciplinary pain treatment program (functional restoration, FR) to decrease chronic musculoskeletal pain and increase functioning in an active duty military population. Sixty-six military participants were randomly assigned to either an FR treatment group or a standard anesthesia pain clinic treatment comparison group. A repeated measures design was employed and data were analyzed for pre- to post-treatment differences, as well as for 6-months and 1-year post-treatment outcomes. Findings revealed significantly greater improvements for the FR group on self-reported pain, disability, functional status, and fitness for military duty at the post-treatment and follow-up points, relative to the comparison group. These results clearly demonstrate the efficacy and military relevance of a FR program for active duty military personnel who have chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders.
