About AMEDD - AMEDD Innovations Since Desert Storm

The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine's Injury Prevention Program leads, facilitates and supports Army and command-level injury prevention efforts.

Injuries are the leading health problem in the Army, causing more than nine million limited-duty days per year among Soldiers and more than 40,000 hospital-bed days. Preventable injuries cost the Army between $400 million and $720 million per year.

More than 70 percent of Army injuries in active-duty Soldiers are lower-extremity overuse injuries due to activities such as running and marching. CHPPM demonstrated through three consecutive studies that these injuries can be reduced 30-50 percent if physical training is modified to avoid overtraining.

CHPPM's work provided the impetus for U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command to implement this training modification in 2003. Since this time, TRADOC has experienced a 30 percent reduction in lower extremity training injuries.