Healing deployed wounded warriors

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs7/31/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Established in 2008, the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group's Intra-Theater Care Program here ensures no service member is sent home from the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility before having a chance to get back in the fight."We're here to ease the workload of our forward operating hospitals so they can focus on the critically ill patients, and in turn, ITCP takes care of the non-emergent combat and non-combat related injuries," said Staff Sgt. Shannon Maynard, the program's NCO in charge deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. "Our goal is to fix these soldiers and return them to duty within 30 days without them having to leave the AOR."On average, ITCP cares for 15 wounded warriors a month, returning 98 percent of patients to their units down range. The program's patient make-up usually consists of 80 percent Army, 10 percent Air Force and 10 percent Navy and Marines."The benefit of this program is pretty significant," Maynard said. "Patients who would normally go home and probably never return to the AOR, have the ability to come here, recover, relax and get the care they absolutely need before returning to duty without leaving their unit one man behind."This in turn saves the Department of Defense thousands of dollars that would have otherwise been used to locate another service member to take their place, no-notice, while they recover at hospitals in places like Germany and stateside."For me it was encouraging because we were told if you went to Germany that usually means you're going home or if you're home, you're just not going to come back from certain types of injuries or ailments," said U.S. Army Spc. Demetrius Payton, an ITCP patient who injured his foot while on convoy duty in Afghanistan. "It was encouraging for me because I wasn't ready to leave; I was so short in my deployment. But when the doctors at Bagram Air Base told me I was coming here, my hopes rose."Payton said he didn't want to leave his unit a man short and can't wait to get back to them, but said he couldn't have recovered as quickly as he has without the ITCP and the medical group's staff.The program affords patients access to fully qualified medical personnel 24/7. These patients are able to partake in all base activities going on pending it isn't harming their recovery. ITCP is capable of housing up to 20 patients at any given time. Behind the scenes, Maynard works hand-in-hand with the patient's units coordinating with the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility for their movement back down range and their direct line to the surgeons."Basically I am here to provide the best care and welfare I can for my patients, ensuring they make every appointment and adhere to their profile restrictions," she said.Maynard said this program benefits the warfighter by giving them a safe place to come and recover. They are given the care they need and a place to relax and decompress while they are here. Patients have access to all other services on base that wouldn't be available down range."Since being here I've had nothing but success as far as battling the infection on my foot," Payton said. "The infection could have invaded the bone and found its way into the blood system. But they settled my fears and treated me very well. Now the infection itself is basically beaten and I'm just going through the physical therapy process to get back in the fight."However, physical recovery isn't Maynard's only concern as she's also looking out for their mental recovery."They get to participate in absolutely everything here," she said. "When celebrities come by this is one of the first stops they make and I think it's good for their morale."ITCP also provides patients with a weekly pizza night, Sunday brunch in bed and numerous other activities throughout the week. Patients are also encouraged to make themselves at home and participate in other morale, wellness and recreation events here, like Karaoke night at Memorial Plaza, among others."You don't really feel like you're isolated from the regular personnel here or even from the other patients," Payton said. "It really feels good and makes you feel normal -- not just like a patient.""They've made me feel so special," added Marine Lance Cpl. Matt Zager, an ITCP patient. "I'm very appreciative for everything they've done to help me get better and back in the fight, not just physically, but emotionally as well."Maynard said she feels like the patients form bonds with other patients really helping in their recovery efforts."Even though they are from all different branches of the military, they form their own unit," she said. "It's nice to actually stand back and watch them bond and find out about different branches of the armed forces."As Payton completes his final steps to recovery he said he's so grateful for everything ITCP, Maynard and the hospital staff has done for him."They really make you feel like part of a family," Payton said. "You feel like you're cared for here and not just another number."From the moment patients, like Payton, get off the plane to the moment they head back to the fight, ITCP is with them every step of the way."I think the patients respond well to the program; there's always somebody there to take care of them," Maynard said. "We have a mission here to get them better and back in the fight as soon as possible."

Listen to your buds: Preventing hearing loss

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs5/28/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- After a long day of work, the last thing you might want to hear is your neighbor's favorite screaming rock band, but when fellow Airmen use their earbuds on the highest volume setting, no one gets to enjoy the silence.Music technology came a long way since Edison's first phonograph -- from loud, crackly records all the way to inner-ear buds. While these conveniences are a part of everyday life, they can also be detrimental to your health and possibly career ending."In the military, many people are exposed to dangerously loud noises on a regular basis due to our jobs, especially personnel that work on the flight line," said Senior Airman Jamie Miller, a 379th Expeditionary Medical Group public health journeyman. "Exposing ourselves to excessively loud noise or loud noise for long periods of time will cause noise-induced hearing loss. Any type of loud noise can cause this hearing loss; even listening to music that's too loud can cause permanent damage."Servicemembers understand how essential it is to wear their personal protective equipment while performing the mission in situations requiring extra hearing protection, but what most don't realize, Miller said, is hearing loss can occur at any time."Listening to loud music on an iPod is just like being exposed to any other loud noise," he said. "One thing that many do is turn the volume of their music up when they're in a place that is loud itself, like the gym. The best thing for that is simply to police ourselves; it will be well worth it."According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, hearing loss can come from a variety of factors, but the number one source for hearing loss in America is exposure to very loud noise. In a campaign ASHA initiated for May as part of "Better Hearing and Speech Month," "Listen to your buds" focuses on educating people, helping them communicate and promoting treatment aimed at improving quality of life.ASHA officials say listening to loud noise for long periods of time can damage the hair cells in the inner ear. Noise-induced hearing loss usually develops gradually and painlessly. A single exposure to an extremely loud sound such as an explosion can cause a sudden loss of hearing. This is called acoustic trauma.In the Air Force, NIHL is an important matter and it's the number one cause for disability. To help combat the damage done by dangerous amounts of noise, personnel at risk take annual audiograms as well as get fitted for earplugs to make sure the correct size is worn and worn correctly."Correctly wearing earplugs and earmuffs will greatly reduce the amount of noise to a reasonable level," said Miller.Preventing high environmental noise from getting in is preferable, but many servicemembers purposely play their music at dangerous volume levels, and are at significantly increased risk for injury."Hearing loss is permanent, so there is no recovery that can happen once the damage is done," Miller continued. "Without hearing, there would be communication barriers between you and your coworkers, giving orders and being aware of your environment. At home it's much more difficult to have a conversation with your loved ones or call your family far away."People with hearing loss may have:- Difficulty speaking and understanding verbal communication- Problems in academic achievement; feelings of isolation, exclusion, embarrassment, annoyance, confusion and helplessness- A reluctance to participate in activities with others- Significant problems following directions- Numerous physiological changes, sleep difficulties, digestive problems, delayed emotional development, stress related disorders, behavioral problems, body fatigue and possible immunological effectsThere is hope, however, and all these symptoms can be avoided."The positive is that NIHL is 100 percent preventable," Miller said. "As long as everyone does their part, NIHL won't be a reason for anyone to have to leave their workplace."Visit www.asha.org/public for more information on how to prevent hearing loss.

Running like a ninja, not like a t-rex

If dinosaurs were better runners, they might not be extinct today.Evidence suggests some dinosaurs ran by planting their heel first and springing off their toes. Many people run this way today. Those who run that way couldn't possibly get out of the way of a meteor fast enough.But you know who might?A ninja.Growing up I learned a lot from my Dad -- like how to drive, throw a football and run. As a Soldier, my Dad ran a lot and shared with me his passion for the sport. While I didn't pick up on everything right away, I have since become quite enthralled with what is called "natural running."Here's an example of what I mean when I say natural running. When walking around the house barefoot, do you walk heel-toe, or do you try to be stealthy and walk around on just the front part of your feet? The stealthy option is actually the healthiest with the least amount of impact on your joints. Now equate this same technique while running and you'll be stealthily flying around like a ninja!Something I learned from a friend, (who may not be a ninja, but is knowledgeable nonetheless) who has been running the mid-strike for years said every time you land on your heel while running, four times your body weight is slamming into your knees and ankles. So imagine you are 150 pounds -- that's 600 pounds of body weight slamming into your leg joints with every heel strike.Another issue many runners face is the question of what to do with their arms? Have you ever noticed people be-bopping along with their arms like a tyrannosaurus rex? These people are over working their legs and not effectively using their arms.According to the Air Force's chief of health promotion, Dr. (Lt. Col.) Dan Kuland, your arms equate to nearly half of a total run. He suggests you swing your arms quickly from relaxed shoulders, elbows bent at 90 degrees, and thumbs and index fingers touching only slightly. Ensure as you run, your arms do not cross your body and remain at your sides. With your hands, you can also grasp at the air as if you were swimming, pulling yourself forward, as a momentum gainer.Kuland also offered other tips:− Fall forward from your ankles in order to enlist gravity.− Run softly by imagining a helium balloon attached to your head.− Look where you are going, not at your feet.− Imagine being reeled in on a big fishing line attached at your belly button.− Expand your lower abdomen like a balloon, then squeeze the air out.− Keep your knees slightly bent, never completely straightening your legs.− Land on the middle of your foot to reduce braking that would occur from crash landing early on your heel.− Imagine running on hot coals with a quick cadence.− Think of your foot slipping backward on a banana peel.− Picture helium balloons lifting your heels.− Move your ankles in little circle as if they are wheels.− Wear minimalist footwear."When we run, our legs swing forward and back like a pendulum, landing on the backswing," Kuland said. "Without shoes, we would land on our mid-foot or toward the front of our foot. But the thick heels of common running shoes catch the ground early with our knee extended and foot out front, inviting knee pain and anterior shin splints. 'Minimalist' shoes with thinner heels allow more natural landings. Once you're on the ground, just lift your heel and gravity will pull you forward. Pushing off wastes energy and promotes posteromedial shin splints and Achilles problems."A great resource for revamping an aerobic workout is found at the Natural Running Center's website:www.naturalrunningcenter.com/. There are videos, blogs, articles, photos, emails, book suggestions -- you name it. Lt. Col. Mark Cucuzzella, Air Force Marathon medical consultant, Efficient Running Program subject matter expert and director of the website, also put together a video on YouTube providing visual cues for extra help: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSIDRHUWlVo.There is a group of runners at Fairchild who meet every Monday afternoon at 4:50 p.m., in the Winner's Circle located at the Funspot. The group usually does a 3.2 mile run around base, but according to their secretary, Staff Sgt. Ceridwyn Wald of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, they've in the past gone for trail runs on South Hill and at Riverfront Park downtown. She also alluded to special runs including the famed "bikini run," super hero run and various hash runs.Running naturally has improved my run time, increased my endurance and strengthened my leg muscles by leaps and bounds. But if my testimony isn't enough, consider this: no ninja has ever been eaten by a dinosaur.