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| Wounded Soldier by Marc Chagall |
Now here’s something from Baxter about why supporting yoga for veterans is so important. —Nina
I woke up the other day thinking about my dad. I suppose partly due to the fact that Memorial Day is coming up, and although he did not die while in the service, he was a veteran. He was in the ROTC in college, from 1954-58, and following graduation, was stationed for a while at a base near Tulsa, Oklahoma, and at Ft. Knox, KY for 6 months, as a second lieutenant. My dad was lucky he served between conflicts, after Korea and before Vietnam—his life could have turned out much differently had been a little older or younger. As it was, he generally had good health and lived to a respectable age of 76. That got me wondering if my dad had seen action in an actual war whether that would have affected his health span.
After I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I took a look into question: how does serving during combat affect the health span of soldiers? I am aware—as many of you readers are, too—that veterans of war are more likely to suffer from serious conditions, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. That means higher rates of depression, anxiety, and cognitive difficulties. And most of us have also heard the staggering statistics on suicide with rates of 20 military deaths a day.
It turns out that having served in combat does increase the chances for these men and women developing those and other unusual health problems (described below) and sometimes other serious health problems (such as hypertension and heart disease) at a more frequent rate than their fellow citizens. In addition, they often report general symptoms, such as persistent pain, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and poor memory. Over 50% of visits to the VA hospitals are for musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain.
Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) gets a lot of press, many veterans suffer other mental illnesses, with one in ten suffering from depression, violent behavior, or alcohol abuse. And 50 percent of those that suffer from PTSD, will, as they age, develop sleep apnea, which is twice the rate as non-military PTSD patients, and are at greater risk of developing dementia as they age.
Combat veterans are also more likely to have been exposed to chemical agents, such as Gulf War veterans who were exposed to sarin gas, which has led to heart damage in many. Similarly, they are often exposed to infectious diseases in the foreign countries were they served that lead to ongoing, difficult-to-treat conditions, such as Leishmaniasis, transmitted from sand flea bites. And they are more likely to be exposed to loud noise and vibrations from gun, cannon fire, and other tools of the trade, which can lead hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), numbness and pain in the hands and feet, and chronic low back pain. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is more common in the military, due to exposure to explosions or direct head trauma, resulting in a jolt to the brain. It not only temporarily disrupts how the brain functions, but can lead to persistent, longer term symptoms of irritability, memory trouble, language issues, information processing difficulties, and short attention spans, with secondary increases in anxiety, depression and headaches.
Preliminary research done in 2012 noted that active-duty military and veterans in their twenties and thirties were developing symptoms typically seen in older adults, such as elevated blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, and obesity, much earlier in their lives than would be expected. As we have said here before, these are risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, all which have a negative impact on health span!
Due to all these issues, those that have served in war zones have multiple risk factors for negative impacts on health span. Fortunately, we know that yoga can help address many of these conditions as an adjunct to western medical approaches. So I wondered if my friends Dan Libby, founder and director of Veterans Yoga Project, and Perry Chattler, the regional director for Northern California branch of the organization, had any experience with veterans with these sorts of conditions, and if they had seen yoga play a role in addressing the health of and improving the lives of these folks. Here is how they answered my questions.
Perry: Many veterans suffer from symptoms of PTSD, a combination of PTSD and other disorders, or simply physical injuries suffered during basic training or during their service, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI). We see issues such as high blood pressure, alcohol/drug abuse, insomnia, depression, heart and lung disease, chronic pain (fibromyalgia), wear and tear issues with shoulders, knees and hips, and military sexual trauma (MST).
By bringing the practices to the veterans in places that they are comfortable going to (Vet Centers, Veterans Halls, etc.), rather than having them seek the practices out in a public forum, we find that they are more willing to try yoga. We also find that by bringing “mindful-resilience” practices to the veterans, they are more willing to give yoga a try, and interestingly enough, they almost always come back to class. These practices include: mindful movement (asana), breathing practices (pranayama), meditation, yoga nidra, and gratitude practices.
Here are just a few quotes from veterans who have my attended classes:
“My doctor is amazed that my blood pressure has dropped and I can lower my medication.” (Vietnam vet)
“My wife tells me I’m calmer.” (Gulf War vet)
“I couldn’t sleep and remembered my breathing practices. I slept through the night.” (Vietnam vet)
“My doctor had me on pain-killers for my low back pain. Since beginning yoga, I am off the meds.” (Afghanistan vet)
“I am better able to be around other people.” (Vietnam vet)
“These classes have changed my life. Thank you!”. (Iraq vet)
Recently, an Iraq veteran told me that since he started yoga classes with the Veterans Yoga Project, his sleep has gone from 0-1 hours a night to 3-4 hours and then to 6-7 hours, and without the need for sleep aids. We know from research that yoga practices work in reducing pain and calming the nervous system. But the anecdotal comments are proof enough for me.
Dan: I want to echo some of the things Perry has already mentioned. There is more and more awareness about millions of military veterans who are still trying to recover from the symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other trauma-related psychological challenges. And there is more general awareness about the fact that 20 veterans end their own lives each and every day, as you mention. Increase awareness about these things are good.
But the veterans I see are also all dealing with other health problems that significantly affect their everyday quality of life and impede recovery. Pain, in particular, is a significant impediment to recovery and wellness. Statistics show that there is high comorbidity between PTSD and pain, and pain is one of the most common and is often debilitating challenges for the veterans I work with. Unfortunately, these challenges often feed into each other, exacerbating tendencies toward avoidance and isolation, leading to a downward spiral of intrusive memories, physiological dysfunction, and, unhealthy coping behaviors.
That’s why I love my job. I get to show veterans and their loved ones how to practice yoga for healthy aging. As a teacher, and as the founder and executive director of an organization that is dedicated to supporting veterans through yoga, I get to hear a lot of positive feedback about how yoga affects quality of life:
“I came into class feeling achy all over. I feel great now.”
“That made my pain go away.”
“I’m walking better.”
I get to hear about a veteran who can tie his shoes without pain. I get to see the increase in physical strength, stability, and agility in the veterans who come to class each week. I get to hear stories about playing golf on the weekend instead of stories about what isn’t working and what hurts. I also get to collect data that documents these effects. For example, in Veterans Yoga Project programs where we collect stress and pain ratings before and after class, we find that 77%-92% of all class visits result in a decrease in pain. This can be 1, 2, 3, 4, or even 5 points on a 0 to 10 scale. There are no adverse side effects, and it’s cheaper and more effective than medication.
Baxter: Is it important to have special dedicated classes just for veterans?
Perry: Yes, we believe so. Veterans (Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq/Afghanistan) will rarely attend a public yoga class, and for a variety of reasons. At Veterans Yoga Project (VYP), we bring trauma-informed yoga in the form of asana, pranayama, and meditation, to veterans at Vet Centers, Veterans Halls, and VA hospitals. All classes are free to veterans and their families. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we continue to fund existing and new programs, enabling all of us to serve those who have served.
Baxter: Thanks, Dan and Perry, for telling us about the positive experiences of the veterans who have studied with you both through the Veterans Yoga Project. All this evidence about improving the physical and mental health of veterans with yoga does help provide an answer to my original question about the effect of yoga on the health span of veterans. It sounds like it can indeed be very helpful for improving health spans!
Readers, all of this is why I’m recommending that if you are looking for a way to not only honor those you have lost to war but to help those who have lived through it, considering donating to the “Light a Candle” fundraising for the Veterans Yoga Project at https://veteransyogaproject.z2systems.com/YogaForHealthyAging
—Baxter
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