The Houston Chronicle has a good piece on the recent increase in noncombat injuries related to neck, back, and joint problems. While most wartime injuries are associated with combat or IED detonations, an increasing number of service members in the VA health system are found to be suffering from neck, back, or joint pain, which results from accidents or overuse. In fact, “A recent Johns Hopkins study found that the top reasons for medical evacuation from Iraq and Afghanistan are musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders, not combat injuries.”

Anthony Clark was honorably discharged with injuries to his back, knee, shoulder and neck. Photo courtesy Houston Chronicle

“As equipment gets more complicated and more sophisticated, there’s a cost that we have to pay to protect you better, but this is the indirect cost,” said Dr. Steven Cohen, an associate professor of anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins and director of pain research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Untreated musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders can combine with post traumatic stress, depression or other injuries to become more severe over time, negatively affecting a veteran’s quality of life, Cohen said.

“That’s why early and aggressive treatment of pain is important,” he said.

Read the full article here.