Georgia Southern’s experts and the 3rd Infantry Division are working together to make sure America’s soldiers stay strong

Musculoskeletal disorders are the number one reason for soldier evacuation and account for almost 25 percent of all military injuries compared to combat injuries, which account for 14 percent in the armed forces.

It was with that knowledge that students from Georgia Southern University’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences met up with soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia to gear up and better understand soldiers’ unique physical challenges and how they can help better prepare them for combat.

“The event provided our students with a much better insight as to the physical demands of soldiers at Fort Stewart,” said Nancy Henderson, DPT, assistant professor of rehabilitation sciences on Georgia Southern’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah . “This added knowledge will help them to better tailor their education while working with soldiers.”

As technology and equipment change and adjust between each theatre of operation it is imperative that the America’s soldiers stay fit and have all the knowledge and resources, they require to achieve their assigned task.

• But why were so many soldiers suffering from musculoskeletal disorders?
• Is the issue easily solved?
• And how can every branch of the armed forces adopt and adapt how they’re operating on the ground to avoid these issues?

There are a lot of questions to be answered and that’s where our experts can help.

Dr. Nancy Henderson is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Georgia Southern University. She is an expert in injury prevention, running form and assessing meaningful change of interventions. Nancy is available to speak with media regarding this topic – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.