invisible wounds
By Kelly Rehan
Self Defense
Military service members are accustomed to helping other people . But when it comes to finding help for their own head pain , many don ’ t know where to turn .
THE HEALTH RISKS that accompany war don ’ t always go away as soon as military service members plant their boots on home soil . Many soldiers suffer head injuries during their tour of duty , which puts them at a high risk for developing migraine and chronic headaches .
Although this pain can cause serious complications if left untreated , some soldiers don ’ t seek help for their headaches . Years after returning from the battlefield , many veterans still feel the effects of combat through post-traumatic headache and traumatic brain injury ( TBI ).
Fortunately , resources are available , and military health professionals are actively researching ways to effectively treat combat-related head injuries so they can improve quality of life for veterans .
TBI IN SOLDIERS
In the first quarter of 2011 , more than 9,800 members of the Armed Forces experienced some form of TBI — and about 30,000 military service members suffer a TBI each year — according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center .
“ Most of these injuries are mild TBI , also known as a concussion ,” says Lt . Col . Jay Erickson , MD , PhD ,
neurologist and assistant chief of neurology at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma , Wash . “ Less than 1 percent of TBIs in soldiers are severe TBI .”
But when it comes to head injuries , mild doesn ’ t necessarily mean minor . Dr . Erickson has conducted extensive research on headaches in the military . In a study published in the journal Headache in 2010 , Erickson and his colleagues found that nearly 20 percent of soldiers returning home from Afghanistan or Iraq experienced a concussion as a result of combat . In addition , they found that more than one in three of these soldiers had post-traumatic headaches , which are more intense than the “ normal ” headaches civilians typically experience . More than half ( 58 percent ) of those post-traumatic headaches were classified as migraine .
HELP FOR HEROES
Whether you are looking to learn more about TBI , find a health care provider or connect with other soldiers , these online resources can help :
• Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center : www . dvbic . org
• NHF ’ s War Veterans Resource Initiative : www . headaches . org / warveterans
• The Bob Woodruff Foundation : www . ReMIND . org
22 HEAD WISE | Volume 1 , Issue 2 • 2011