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Integration of strength training into UK Defence Rehabilitation practice: current trends and future challenges
  1. Peter Ladlow1,2,
  2. D Conway3,
  3. D Hayhurst4,
  4. C Suffield5,
  5. RP Cassidy1,6 and
  6. RJ Coppack1,7
  1. 1 Academic Department of Military Rehabilitation, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall, Loughborough, UK
  2. 2 Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
  3. 3 Complex Trauma Department, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall, Loughborough, UK
  4. 4 Primary Care Rehabilitation Facility (PCRF) Credenhill, Credinhill, UK
  5. 5 Physical and Recreational Training Centre, Army Training Centre Pirbright, Pirbright, UK
  6. 6 Centre for Lower Limb Rehabilitation, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall, Loughborough, UK
  7. 7 Versus Arthritis Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
  1. Correspondence to RJ Coppack, Academic Department of Military Rehabilitation, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall, Loughborough LE12 5BL, UK; russ.coppack100{at}mod.gov.uk

Abstract

The use of strength and conditioning (S&C) in musculoskeletal rehabilitation has gained wide acceptance among the rehabilitation community. However, there is an absence of evidence demonstrating how to best integrate the principles of S&C into rehabilitation practice. This article discusses four broad themes: (1) an overview of the UK Defence Rehabilitation care pathway, (2) the historical and current approaches to physical training to support operational readiness of the British Armed Forces, (3) the current and future challenges of integrating S&C into Defence Rehabilitation practice and (4) research priorities relating to the use of S&C in Defence Rehabilitation. We detail the importance of strength/power-based physical attributes within our military population. We recommend that consideration be given to the benefits of an alternative education/coaching-based model to be used during the current 3-week residential care pathway, which aims to ensure effective implementation of therapeutic S&C over a longer period of care.

  • rehabilitation medicine
  • occupational & industrial medicine
  • musculoskeletal disorders
  • orthopaedic sports trauma
  • sports medicine
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001590

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors PL and RJC conceived the study idea. PL, DC and RJC wrote the first draft. DH, CS and RPC reviewed and provided detailed comments and revisions on the first draft. All authors participated in further revisions and provided their full approval prior to submission.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.