The prevalence and impact of musculoskeletal injuries during a pre-deployment workup cycle: survey of a Marine Corps special operations company.

Musculoskeletal injuries are a primary cause of morbidity and missed training throughout the military. Only a handful of studies have been performed which focus on the Special Operations community. This study was performed to determine a baseline understanding of the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries within an operational element of the newly formed Marine Corps Special Operations Command. The results of this survey reveal that nearly one-third of all members of 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Delta Company, experienced pain or physical limitation due to a musculoskeletal injury. Of those who were injured, nearly 30% reported that their injury impacted their ability to train during their pre-deployment training cycle. These results confirm that musculoskeletal injuries are a significant problem within the Marine Corps Special Operations Command. Further investigation is warranted to examine etiological factors resulting in these injuries and changes to training regimens that may result in decreased injuries.