Many US Service Members Battle Chronic Pain Daily

army chronic painA new report suggests that chronic pain is more common in military members than it is in the average population, an eye-opening statistic when you consider the physical capabilities needed to become an active service member. It also begs the question, “Are we doing enough to combat chronic pain among our men and women in the armed services?”

According to a new study by the nonpartisan group Rand Corp., between 31 and 44 percent of active-duty service members suffer from chronic pain. In fact, chronic pain is listed as the main factor leading to disability for active duty service members. Rand Corp. stated that the Defense Department has recently begun to take tangible steps to help combat the problem of chronic pain among our troops, but it’s not just about access to chronic pain care, it’s about access to quality pain care.

“Accurately measuring the quality of pain treatment is an essential step toward improving care,” the group said in its report.

Outpacing Civilian Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects roughly 20 percent of the civilian population, so the fact that chronic pain among service members is roughly double that is a major cause for concern. And while being in the military is obviously a very physically demanding job, it’s not just about the physical toll that they put their body through, it’s also about the mental and emotional stress that comes with being a service member. When you also consider the stigma of wanting to appear tough and in turn delaying treatment, it’s easy to see why chronic pain is so prevalent in our armed forces.

“The substantially higher prevalence of pain among service members has been attributed to a high rate of injuries from deployments, the mental and physical demands of military service, and a possible tendency to delay care-seeking for painful conditions,” said Rand Corp. in their report.

Other findings from the report include:

  • Back pain and joint disorders are the most common types of chronic pain experienced by our troops.
  • Musculoskeletal pain accounted for 60 percent of limited duty days and the reason why 65 percent of soldiers were medically unfit to deploy.
  • Service members also experience more complex pain syndromes compared to the average citizen.

The only good news to come out of this report is that fact that because chronic pain is so prevalent, it’s easier to draw attention to the issue. If the military is willing to spend the money to help find chronic pain solutions for our troops, it may also spill over into chronic pain care for the average American. Better yet, the Department of Defense could fund billions of dollars into top notch research programs to help find treatments and cures for a wide range of chronic pain issues.

Regardless of whether or not you’re a service member, if you’re dealing with chronic pain, trust your case to an experienced pain management specialist like Dr. Cohn. He’ll work with you every step of the way to find an individualized treatment plan suited to your specific needs. Click here to learn how you can get in contact with his office.