The Unique Health and Rehabilitation Needs of Those Who Serve or Have Served

Military personnel serving in the Canadian Forces have a health care system that is attuned to their needs; in fact, this sytem offers a quality and consistency of care that is second-to-none. However, military families and Canada's veterans must rely on the publicly funded health care systems, which are managed differently in each province and which may not recognize their particular health issues and concerns. Indeed, the change in care from the Canadian Forces Health Services to the civilian system often is one of the most difficult aspects of transition to civilian life.

Canada has more than 700,000 veterans, many of whom have had occupational and operational exposures that put them at risk for a variety of health problems. These problems may be related to their physical health (eg, early onset osteoarthritis or illness caused by unique environmental exposures), to their mental health (eg, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression), or to their social health as they transition to civilian life.

Research on this unique segment of society not only leads to focused and specific care that meets veterans' needs, it offers insights into care for many other patient groups, including high-performance athletes, seniors, and the general population. Although extrapolating from research on the general population to those who serve or have served in the military is not easy, extrapolating from military or veteran health research to the general population can be very beneficial. In this special issue, you will find articles that speak to all aspects of rehabilitation for military personnel and veterans. The work provides valuable insights into a segment of the population that has high demands placed on them, and it offers guidance for care for all patient populations.

This special issue represents one way in which we have begun to develop a solid evidence base for care and to ensure that the research community recognizes the unique nature of military personnel, veterans, and their families. With estimates of as many as 35,000 personnel leaving the Canadian Forces in the next 5 years, it is critical that health care providers, program developers, and policy makers put the research into action to ensure that care is of the highest possible standard.

As you read this special issue of PTJ, I encourage you to take the many lessons learned and apply them to your practice, and also to reflect on the social covenant between our countries and the sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers who are sent into harm's way in defense of the freedom and quality of life we all enjoy.

• © 2013 American Physical Therapy Association