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Review
. 2022 Apr;39(4):158-166.
doi: 10.12788/fp.0248. Epub 2022 Apr 12.

Exercise to Reduce Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Veterans

Daniel J Reis  1   2   3 , Melinda A Gaddy  1   4 , Guoqing J Chen  4
Affiliations
Review

Exercise to Reduce Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Veterans

Daniel J Reis et al. Fed Pract. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Physical exercise offers benefits for treating psychological disorders, particularly depression. Exercise is associated with reduction of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in civilians. Given the comorbidities and unique trauma experiences of the veteran population, the current work aims to estimate the effect of exercise on PTSD symptoms in veteran samples.

Observations: A systematic review identified 6 single-arm studies and 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using exercise as an interventional treatment among veteran samples with full or subsyndromal PTSD. Most single-arm studies used yoga-based interventions, whereas RCTs showed more variety and included yoga, aerobic activity, and resistance exercises. Data synthesis of study results revealed a medium standardized mean difference for the single-arm trials (Hedges g, -0.60, P = .03) and a small-to-medium standardized mean difference for the RCTs (Hedges g, -0.40, P = .06). Single-arm studies were all rated at serious risk of bias. Only 1 RCT was rated at high risk of bias, although the remaining RCTs showed some concern of elevated bias.

Conclusions: There is preliminary evidence that exercise may be a useful treatment option for PTSD symptom reduction in veterans. Our review also highlights the need for additional high-quality randomized trials to confirm the benefits of exercise for PTSD symptom reduction in veterans.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author disclosures The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest or outside sources of funding with regard to this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow and Selection of Studies
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2. Forest Plots of Single-arm and Randomized Controlled Trials Investigating the Effect of Exercise on PTSD Symptoms
Abbreviations: CAPS, Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale; CI, confidence interval; PCL, PTSD Checklist; PCL-M, PTSD Checklist – Military Version; PCL-5, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5; SMD, standardized mean difference; PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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