Ill-fitting military gear contributes to chronic pain for women veterans

OTTAWA · A new report says women veterans experience chronic pain at more than double the rate of the general Canadian population. The joint study from the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans and the Canadian Pain Society was released in June. It called for urgent and coordinated action to close gaps in care for veterans. Alice Aiken, founder of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health, said women veterans have different health outcomes than civilian women. She said chronic pain is important to monitor because it can lead to disability.

Wanda Motard, a 47-year-old veteran, says her own chronic pain began during basic training in 2002. She was issued men's boots that were far too large for her feet. "I was constantly tripping over my feet, had rolled my ankle a few times, [which] led to a sprain," Motard said. She also struggled with an ill-fitting backpack during marches. Motard says she coped by using insoles, taking anti-inflammatory drugs and icing her feet nightly.

Alice Aiken, who is also a professor at Dalhousie University and a veteran, said military roles are physically demanding and increase injury risk. She said equipment often does not fit women properly. "A lot of the uniforms were not and are not designed specifically for women. They don't fit properly," Aiken said. This poor fit can lead to more injuries and reasons for chronic pain. Research on women veterans is sparse, with less than ten percent of public health research funds targeting women's health.

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The House of Commons veterans affairs committee made launching a comprehensive research program its top recommendation in a 2024 report. Veterans also face a difficult transition when they leave the military and its health system. Aiken described the military system as probably one of the best in Canada, with an interdisciplinary approach to care. After leaving, veterans must use provincial or territorial systems, which Aiken said may not recognize their unique needs. A private clinic in Ottawa now aims to fill part of this gap.

Dr. Markus Besemann opened Beechwood Physical Medicine in 2022 after a 37-year military career as a rehabilitation specialist. He founded the clinic with chiropractor Dr. Geoff Outerbridge to focus on veterans and chronic pain. For some services, patients can seek funding from Veterans Affairs Canada, while others require out-of-pocket payment. Motard became a patient after being on a public waitlist for a physiatrist. She was drawn to the clinic's integrated model, which includes physicians, physiotherapists and psychologists under one roof.

Besemann said the clinic's approach includes trauma-informed care. "The simple sentence, I think, that says everything is, medicine is all about 'What's wrong with you? What's the diagnosis?' And trauma-informed care, I think, is 'What happened to you?'" he said. Aiken noted that research on U.S. veterans suggests military sexual trauma can contribute to chronic pain. Motard says she has received psychotherapy at the clinic to address sexual harassment she experienced in the Forces. She described harassment ranging from inappropriate comments and touching to pressure for relationships, threats and stalking.

Motard was part of a class-action lawsuit against the Department of National Defence for sexual misconduct, settled in 2019. The federal government agreed to compensate victims and improve workplace safety. A public apology was issued by the government and military in 2021. A 2025 report found the military had made significant progress in changing its culture around sexual misconduct but said more work was needed.

With files from CBC News