Returning Vets, Thank You for Your Service

Postoperative pain is often undertreated. Although studies have demonstrated that many patients experience a substantial degree of unrelieved pain following operative procedures and that this pain can increase the incidence of serious complications, the management of discomfort continues to be suboptimal.

A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted between Feb, 2003 and January, 2005 in Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) medical centers in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Indianapolis, Indiana. Patients were 605 veterans with a mean age of 64 who underwent major thoracic or abdominal surgery.

Compared with the control group, patients in the manual-therapy group experienced short term (pre- vs. post-intervention) decreases in pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and anxiety. In addition, patients in the massage group experienced a faster rate of decrease in pain intensity and unpleasantness over the first four post-operative days (long-term) compared with the control group.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs agrees that massage therapy is effective in addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as other physical concerns such as amputation.

Most of the military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will develop mental-health problems, mainly PTSD, new research shows. Musculoskeletal problems are also common among returning veterans., which are induced by the extreme physical stress placed on our service men and women.

In the article, "Health and Exposure Concerns of Veterans Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan," published in the May issue of Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, researchers note that "the majority of veterans (55 percent) had a mental health concern, most commonly, post-traumatic stress disorder."

"Many studies indicate that more frequent and more intense involvement in combat operations increases the risk of developing chronic PTSD and associated mental health problems," reads a statement on the Web site of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "Initial evidence indicates that combat operations in Iraq are very intense. Soldiers in Iraq are at risk for being killed or wounded themselves, are likely to have witnessed the suffering of others, and may have participated in killing or wounding others as part of combat operations. All of these activities have a demonstrated association with the development of PTSD."

The site (www.rehab.research.va.gov) contains numerous short articles on massage therapy and additional types of body therapies, as well as on chronic pain and PTSD. Topics include:

  • Massage therapy as a nonpharmacological intervention for chronic pain
  • Massage and bodywork as complementary therapies for vets with HIV/AIDS
  • An examination of the relationship between chronic pain and PTSD.

All current and returning military vets receive 50% off any of our services.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Precision Muscle Recovery at 480.755.5065.