Understanding Musculoskeletal Injuries

March 9, 2021 - Defence Stories

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Avoidable injury should never be an impediment to service, and so we want to better understand why this problem is happening, and how it can be alleviated.

One of the most common reasons for women in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to be medically discharged, or not deployed, is musculoskeletal injury (MSKi). Avoidable injury should never be an impediment to service, and so we want to better understand why this problem is happening, and how it can be alleviated.

This is why Canadian Forces Morale & Welfare Services’ Personnel Support Programs (PSP) is partnering with the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, to undertake various focus groups to better understand the risk of MSKi, especially for women during prenatal and post-partum periods.

The goal of this specific project is to use focus group data to guide the development of improved training strategies that should result in lower injury rates, while up-holding gender-free fitness standards.

If you’re a woman or man, aged 18 to 65, a current or former CAF Member, and fit in one of the following groups:

• a female who has been pregnant while serving in the CAF or;
• a female who has not been pregnant at all while serving in the CAF or;
• a female or male who have experienced an MSKi that required medical advice and/or treatment, and have impacted ability to carry out their duties or;
• a female or male who have experienced an MSKi, but whose duties have not been impacted,

please contact our research coordinator and help us improve your experience!

Kevin Semeniuk (University of Ottawa)
Email: ksemeniu@uottawa.ca
Phone: 613-562-5800 x1003

Thank you for taking the time to help your fellow CAF Members!

For more information visit: Understanding Musculoskeletal Injuries (cafconnection.ca) (You are now leaving the Government of Canada website) .