Chits, often part and parcel of life in the ADF. Photo by Cpl Sean Burton, 1JPAU (P)

Chit happens

Members on medical restrictions (chits) are often viewed disdainfully with terms like chitmonger and even malingerer used to describe them.

This stigma has led to the situation where many soldiers do not seek a medical review when their restrictions expire (and may not be physiologically ready to return to activity) or, even worse, fail to see their medical staff for fear of being placed on a medical restriction.

First, I must agree that there are those who manipulate the system for their own benefit. However, all medically restricted personnel (temporarily or permanently) should not be stereotypically labelled for the indiscretions of a few.

With the Army’s mission being to win the land battle, we need troops that can be deployed and are fit to fight.

Medical restrictions are a means of marking an injured human body as U/S until it is repaired and reconditioned. With this in mind, the following need to be considered/remembered when on a medical restriction:

Recovery

Take the time to recover properly. This includes doing those exercises prescribed by a physiotherapist/ PTI for as long as the physiotherapist/ PTI deems them necessary. Avoid returning to a sporting field until you have been assessed by a physiotherapist/PTI as being physically capable of doing so. Better to miss one upcoming weekend game, rather than the rest of the season when the weak link fails completely.

Stay Active

When on a restriction, stay as active as you can within those limitations. No lower-body PT for example does not mean no PT. Again PTIs and physiotherapists can assist you in remaining active.
Obey your chit. You have been given medical restrictions for a reason. If you choose to ignore your restrictions, you are disregarding medical advice given to you by medical personnel and you are doing yourself a disservice as you are delaying your own recovery.

Remember your injury does not magically disappear just because you are playing a minor team game or sport. If you are injured you should NOT be playing sport, unless specific exemption is given by your medical staff.

Consider your diet

With the body needing to repair, good nutrition is essential. Furthermore, your decrease in physical activity means a decrease in calorie expenditure, thus the susceptibility to weight gain is increased.

Consider this:

You are on a restriction due to a knee injury and cannot do much aerobic based activity for a month. Over this month you gain several kilograms in weight, as you have not adjusted your eating habits. As your body starts to recover, your injured knee must now cope with the added stress of additional body weight and your chance of re-injury is increased.

Encouragement and Involvement. Peers and superiors should encourage the member on a restriction to remain involved with their section/unit and the member should be included in activities that do not contradict their restrictions.

With this in mind, the member on restriction should likewise explore ways in which to maintain involvement with their section/unit.

Further information.

If unsure of what duties/activities the medically restricted member is capable of performing, ring the medical staff who issued the restriction for clarification.

As long as there is no need to breach Medical-in-confidence, they will be able to assist you in determining how best the member can be employed and involved. The HPD 236 of August 7, 2001 may also provide guidance on restriction terminologies.

Ironically, from the soldiers I have spoken to across all trades, many of them fail to understand what an injured soldier is going through – many in fact admitted to viewing medically restricted personnel in the light expressed above. That was until they themselves were injured and had to deal with the frustration, self-guilt and unfortunately negative attitude of a medically restricted member.

I would like to thank the medical staff and students on the WOLOG course for their assistance.

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