US troops 'vulnerable to back pain'

A study reported in the Lancet has found that US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to be withdrawn from the battlefield due to back or joint pain than combat injuries. The study, looked at the injuries suffered by 34,000 US military personel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Back, joint and muscle pain were the leading medical problems suffered by soldiers, accounting for almost one-quarter of all injuries. The study is prompting the US Department of Defence to look at the weight of equipment that soldiers are routinely required to carry, and the length of their tours of duty. Source: BBC, 22 January 2010. tinyurl.com/yl3flpb