Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBIs)1,2,3,4
   ● Make up for 70-90% of all treated brain injuries in non-military 
    populations
   ● In 2012, there were over 400,000 traumatic brain injuries 
    (TBIs) reported in deployed US troops
   ● Plaguing military service members
     ○ Physical burden and financial burden 
   Types of mTBIs2,5,6,7,8
   Blast-induced mTBIs:
   ● Typically sustained from exposure to an explosion
   ● Common in the military population due to participation in combat, 
     hazards, and explosives 
   ● Can result in more detrimental post-concussive sequelae
   Blunt-induced mTBIs:
   ● Typically sustained from physical trauma
   ● Common in the sports population 
    Symptoms of mTBIs1,5,8,9
     ● Common symptoms associated with mTBIs:
         ○ Cognitive symptoms
         ○ Somatic symptoms
         ○ Musculoskeletal symptoms 
     ● Symptoms are usually temporary resolving within days or weeks, 
        but this is not always the case
     ● Post-concussive disorder (PCD): at least 3 symptoms persists after 
        normal healing time for adults (7-10 days) 
         ○ 5% of military members who have sustained a mTBI experience PCD 
   mTBIs Within the Military Population1,5,7,8,9,10,11
   ● Complex health problem due to unique psychological challenges 
   ● More likely to develop chronic concussive symptoms while 
     struggling with psychological factors 
     ○ Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
   ● “Signature injury” in the military 
     ○ PTSD  along with a TBI 
   ● Certain PTSD symptoms present similar to PCD
     ○ Fatigue, social withdrawal, sleep disturbance, sadness, 
       difficulty concentrating 
   Treatment of mTBIs1,5,6,12
    ● Multidisciplinary approach 
    ● Physical therapy (PT) treatment is just a slice of the pie when it 
      comes to treating mTBIs
    ● However, physical therapists (PTs) play a significant role in regard 
      to treatment of mTBIs in the military population
      ○ Evaluate and treat common symptoms that occur after 
        sustaining a mTBI
      ○ Provide an array of interventions to address impairments and 
        improve quality of life