Pain Management Strategies in Military Populations
Summary
Pain is a leading cause of morbidity and lost operational readiness among service personnel worldwide. Military populations are exposed to a wide spectrum of pain-related challenges, from acute combat injuries and musculoskeletal overuse to chronic neuropathic syndromes and psychological comorbidities. Strategies for effective pain control in this context must balance rapid symptom relief, minimisation of adverse effects and preservation of physical and cognitive performance. Multimodal approaches combine pharmacological interventions—such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, regional anaesthesia techniques and neuromodulatory agents—with non-pharmacological modalities, including structured rehabilitation, movement-control training and psychological support grounded in a biopsychosocial framework. Emerging efforts focus on personalised risk profiling, advanced assessment technologies and integrated care pathways that accelerate return to duty while reducing long-term disability. Coordination among medical, physiotherapy and mental-health teams is essential to tailor interventions to the unique demands and environments of military service.
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Pain Management Strategies in Military Populations publication trend
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Technical terms
Musculoskeletal injury: Damage to bones, muscles, ligaments or tendons affecting movement and function.
Neuropathic pain: Pain arising from injury or dysfunction of the somatosensory nervous system.
Biopsychosocial model: Holistic framework addressing biological, psychological and social factors in pain perception and management.
Rehabilitation: Structured therapeutic process to restore strength, mobility and function after injury.
Personalised risk profiling: Individualised assessment of factors that predispose a person to injury or poor pain outcomes, guiding tailored interventions.
References
- Pre-neuromusculoskeletal injury Risk factor Evaluation and Post-neuromusculoskeletal injury Assessment for Return-to-duty/activity Enhancement (PREPARE) in military service members: a prospective, observational study protocol. Journal of Translational Medicine (2022).
- Prevalence and Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Back Injury Among U.S. Army Personnel. Military Medicine (2021).
- Risk factors for low back pain in active military personnel: a systematic review. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies (2021).
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