Photo By Spc. Brittany Gardner | Sgt. 1st Class Josue Valencia, communications security manager, 36th Inf. Div., spots...... read more read more
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Story by: Spc. Brittany H. Gardner
362nd MPAD, USD-S Public Affairs
BASRAH, Iraq – Through the gravel, down the street, and to the gym they go. Working out is something many soldiers use as an escape from the daily routine of a deployment. But a lot of soldiers don’t realize that injury could be just around the corner. Soldiers around Contingency Operating Base Basra encounter many obstacles that put them at risk of injury every day.
Back and neck pain, as well as knee and shoulder injuries, are some of the most common injuries treated at the Medical Treatment Facility in the Troop Medical Center by Lt. Col. Shawn J. Scott, theater physical therapist consultant, 86th Combat Support Hospital.
Scott said back pain is a common affliction for soldiers and is often caused by having weak or unbalanced core muscles or poor posture. Sometimes when soldiers wear extra gear or equipment it overwhelms the musculoskeletal system and the body’s ability to tolerate the extra load, said Scott. “Back pain is a normal response to an abnormal stress.”
Scott recommends doing exercises that build up the core muscles, which includes the abdomen, lower spine and pelvis. He said he leans heavily on teaching “Four for the Core” exercises, part of U.S. Army physical readiness training, during therapy.
According to Scott, knee and ankle injuries are another common occurrence around the COB. He believes this is caused by walking and running on uneven terrain. Also, soldiers are not giving their bodies the necessary amount of time between runs for their muscles to recuperate, Scott explains. There should be a 48- hour recovery period between runs or any exhaustive effort.
“You shouldn’t be running more than three times a week,” said Scott. “There’s a lot of scientific evidence to support that.”
According to Livestrong.com, without proper rest after running people encounter a risk of overtraining and a higher risk of injury.
Sgt. Hayro Gonzalez, help desk non-commissioned officer, Company C, 36th Infantry Division, knows all too well how easy it is to suffer from a running injury. He said he injured his knee after twisting his ankle while running. Gonzalez said he stopped too abruptly and heard his knee pop.
Scott has been treating Gonzalez’s injury for approximately two months. “I have a torn ACL [anterior cruciate ligament],” said Gonzalez. “He makes sure I stretch before any exercise [and] I use rubber bands to stretch my injured leg.”
Scott believes many of these injuries are caused by poor fitness before the deployment. He suggests beginning any new fitness routine with two to three sets of ten to fifteen repetitions for about the first six weeks. “This will strengthen connective tissue and muscular endurance,” said Scott.
Although accidents happen, Scott believes many of the injuries that occur around COB Basra could be avoided. Stretching, core stabilization exercises and implementing a complete fitness program are some things Scott suggests to enable soldiers to stay fit to fight.
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2011 08:44 |
| Story ID: | 72725 |
| Location: | BASRA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 316 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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