16 July 2026

Head and Neck Injuries Deserve a Closer Readiness Look 

Head and neck injuries may not be the largest category of musculoskeletal injury across the force, but they represent a steady and costly demand for military medicine. For Service members, these injuries can affect movement, comfort, performance, and the ability to train or work without limitation. 

Researchers from Musculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational Readiness (MIRROR) and The Geneva Foundation examined head and neck musculoskeletal injuries among active duty Service members to better understand the scale of the problem, the care these injuries require, and the costs tied to treatment outside military treatment facilities.  

A readiness issue hiding in routine care 

The study examined active duty Service members in the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy from fiscal years 2016 through 2021. Investigators used Military Health System data to identify musculoskeletal injuries affecting the neck, head, face, and eye. 

In fiscal year 2021, 109,683 active duty Service members sought care for head and neck musculoskeletal injuries, representing 7.3 percent of the force. Across the six-year study period, annual prevalence stayed within a narrow range of 6.9 to 7.8 percent. 

That consistency is important. A stable injury pattern can still create a significant readiness burden when it appears across the force year after year. The study also showed that neck conditions drove most of the category, with cervical spine injuries accounting for 86 percent of all head and neck musculoskeletal injuries during the study period. 

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army had the highest annual prevalence, while rates were lower in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The study did not determine the cause of those differences, but it points to the value of understanding injury patterns by branch, setting, and occupational demand. 

The care burden behind the numbers 

Head and neck injuries require more than a diagnosis. They often involve repeat visits, rehabilitation, specialty care, and coordination across care settings. 

From fiscal years 2016 through 2021, direct care settings recorded more than 2.1 million outpatient encounters with a primary or secondary diagnosis of head or neck musculoskeletal injury. More than 60 percent of those direct care outpatient encounters involved physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, athletic training, or orthotics. 

The study also found meaningful private sector care costs. In fiscal year 2021 alone, head and neck musculoskeletal injuries were associated with 444,129 outpatient encounters across direct and private sector care and $42,912,940 in private sector care costs. 

Those figures help show why this injury category matters. Even when head and neck injuries are not the most common musculoskeletal injuries, they still draw substantial clinical time, treatment capacity, and financial resources. 

Turning analytics into readiness insight 

This research establishes a baseline for understanding head and neck injury burden across the force. By showing how often these injuries occur, how much care they require, and how care is delivered, the findings give military health leaders a stronger foundation for future decision making. 

That foundation can inform prevention planning, resource allocation, access-to-care discussions, and follow-on research tied to recovery and readiness. It can also help identify where more detailed investigation is needed, including how care patterns connect to return-to-duty outcomes. 

For The Geneva Foundation, this work reflects the value of research that connects health data to operational needs. Geneva’s role reflects its work with military research partners to generate evidence that can inform care, readiness, and Service member health. 

Interested in the full research? Read the study in Military Medicine: https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usae045 

Disclaimer: The views expressed do not reflect the official policy of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.