Back Pain in Helicopter Flight Operations,

Abstract

One of the major medical problems associated with military helicopter flight operations is the high prevalence of back pain reported by flightcrews. Epidemiological surveys have indicated that up to 75 percent of helicopter flightcrews complain of this affliction and that it is having a significant effect on manpower availability. The two most widely implicated etiological factors in this problem are poor posture dictated by control and seat configurations in most operational helicopters and the chronic vibration to which helicopter flightcrews are subjected. This paper reviews the epidemiology and etiology of back pain in helicopter aircrews and discusses potential means for treatment and prevention.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADP003962

Entities

People

  • D. F. Shanahan

Organizations

  • United States Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Availability
  • Epidemiology
  • Etiology
  • Helicopters
  • Manpower
  • Medical Specialties
  • Netherlands
  • Pain
  • Vibration

Readers

  • Aviation Science / Aeronautics.
  • Educational Psychology
  • Neurotrauma and Rehabilitation Medicine.