A Functional Restoration Program for Active-Duty Service Members With Chronic Pain: Do PTSD Symptoms Moderate...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Physical Medicine
• Military Health

Background:

• Chronic pain is prevalent in active-duty service members (ADSMs), often co-occurring with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Functional restoration programs (FRPs) show success in improving self-reported pain and function in ADSMs, irrespective of PTSD.
• This study investigates objective physical functioning responses to FRPs in ADSMs with and without PTSD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if ADSMs with PTSD symptoms respond differently to FRPs based on objective physical functioning measures.
• To analyze the impact of co-occurring PTSD on physical rehabilitation outcomes in military personnel.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 63 ADSMs who completed an FRP.
• Objective measures included movement patterns, aerobic fitness, functional strength, mobility, and trunk strength/lifting capacity (pre- and post-treatment).
• PTSD status was assessed as a moderator of treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• Overall, significant improvements in physical functioning were observed in the full sample (P < .01).
• Patients with PTSD showed less improvement in aerobic fitness compared to those without PTSD (P < .05).
• No significant PTSD interaction was found for changes in movement, strength, mobility, or lifting capacity (P > .42).

Conclusions:

• ADSMs with chronic pain experience widespread objective physical functioning improvements after FRP participation.
• PTSD symptoms did not significantly alter the response to FRPs across most objective physical functioning assessments.