Muscle injuries dominate Camp Taji clinic’s cases

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Muscle injuries dominate Camp Taji clinic’s cases
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, September 10, 2008

CAMP TAJI, Iraq — The main health clinic here is still seeing a steady flow of wounded soldiers, but virtually none of them are suffering combat injuries, according to medical officials.

"Most of what we’re seeing now is back pain and muscle injuries," said Capt. Yolonda Gray-Davis, supervisor for the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division’s Brigade Support Battalion. "We’ve got a generally healthy population, but we still get that a lot."

The culprits, officials said, are wearing body armor improperly and poor weightlifting technique. While soldiers regularly do their dumbbell curls and runs, they don’t spend as much time strengthening their core and back muscles.

Camp Taji is one of a handful of bases in country with a fully staffed physical therapy clinic along with its other medical resources. Maj. Lisa Hirn, director of the support brigade’s physical therapy department, said she sees about 500 patients a month now, down from nearly 1,000 a month at the start of the year.

But while most of the earlier issues were twisted ankles and other field injuries, now she’s seeing mostly preventable problems.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57303