Occupational exposure to acceleration in fighter aircraft did not cause significant radiological changes in the spinal column during the first 13 yr of a fighter pilot's flying career. Assessments for the need of a fighter pilot's follow-up imaging should be based on clinical outcome, not on periodic imaging.

The results suggest that exercise stress-related analgesia mechanisms may be enhanced in pilots with a history of acute in-flight neck pain attacks. Moreover, sensory and nonsensory aspects of pain experience may be differentially influenced by exercise stress.

No abstract

This study compared the effects of two neck training methods on workdays lost or flying under +Gz restrictions because of +Gz-related neck pain, and on neck muscle strength and the passive cervical range of motion among fighter pilots. One group (n = 10) participated in dynamic neck and shoulder muscle training, and another (n = 10) participated in helmet training with additional weights. The measurements were done at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months. The loss of workdays or restrictions in +Gz flights were recorded during the 1-year training period and the year preceding it. Neck muscle strength increased similarly in both groups. Nevertheless, during the training year, the pilots doing dynamic exercises had fewer sick leaves and +Gz restrictions than the pilots doing helmet exercises. Because the number of subjects was small and the study included no control group, firm conclusions on the effects of the training methods cannot be drawn.