Knee Pain

[colt1rgr]

Young Ranger Brother, while I definitely appreciate your sucking it up, here's the deal................

At 47, and still harder than woodpecker lips, I have osteo-arthritis (better known as "degenerative hip disease") in both hips. This was caused by the many (MANY) miles of rucking, running, jumping and NOT going to see the DOC as I was well known for in "my day". Back then we took some Motrin and drove on (STUPID). Shit has changed and with the changes we (you Rangers) have gotten smarter! We (the American people) NEED our Rangers to take care of themselves. Get your shit checked out!!!!!!!!!!!! It may just need some rest...... No worries, but it ain't worth being a cripple in later life to be stupid now. Don't be stupid, take care of yourself, your fan club here on the sidelines will appreciate it!

[The Holmchicken]

What you have is an overuse injury. I've had a many times in my career and after every suck school. Get it checked, get it documented and get it taken care of. It's not going to get better with age. I know it's the bad ass thing to do, suck it up and drive on but what's not bad ass is knee reconstruction before 30 and then you're out of the game permanently. At least for a very long time. Go to the rehab clinic at the hospital and watch the guys with knee surgery doing rehab. Also, glucosamine chondroitin is an excellent supplement to take. Look into get Naproxyn (Aleve) as it does the same thing as motrin but not nearly as bad for your stomach.

[289sotherhalf]

Ranger The Holmchicken is right about the glucosamine chondroitin. My knees are shot out, just had another scope at the end of January, and I can tell a difference in all of my joints since starting back on it. Ice, rest, and NSAIDs work wonders.

I wouldn't do too much without getting it checked out first. Waking up stiff and in pain sucks big time, but some simple things that help me are just sitting and extending the leg, looping a towel around my foot and stretching my calf out. Also, sitting on the edge of a surface, and putting a towel/pillowcase under my foot and sliding it forward and back on the floor helps to loosen it up without putting alot of pressure on it. Straight leg raises, stuff like that. Again, you don't want to aggravate it further, so advice from a Doc is certainly advisable. When my knees flare up, just getting off my feet for a bit and hitting them with an ice pack usually helps. You can put a few together easy with some ziplocks, 2 parts water to 1 part rubbing alcohol, and freeze. Makes them slushy and they conform pretty good. Anyways, just my $.02. I hope it gets better for you soon, Ranger XCrunner!

[Baseplate]

If you don't see the medics and have it documented in your med records in 25 years when your knees feel like there is gravel in the joints the VA will simply say "Not our problem as there is no proof of injury during military service."

[Slowpoke]

Glucosamine works wonders....just not quickly. It's not something you're going to take in the morning and feel better that afternoon. It may take more than a month to get real relief from it but it's great when it happens!

[Ranger Ron]

Well young Ranger, you have gotten a lot of good advice here from folks that KNOW. IMO the best advice is GET IT CHECKED OUT! You want to be an effective Ranger and you can't do that if you can't walk. You may still look cool, sitting in a wheel chair, but you won't be too effective.

[goon175]

x4 on the glucosamine chondroitin. Also I take fish oil pills and eat bannanas.

And I know the merits of these have been discussed at length on this site...... but the VFF's have really helped my knee's out alot.....

[McD]

Get it on Record.

[mortar_guy78]

Bro, I sucked up a knee injury with symptoms almost exactly like yours and found out 12 years later that I had torn my meniscus. Years of running, jumping and road marching had beaten up the tear so bad that my lateral meniscus was almost shredded and they had to remove most of it. I came within a cunthair of being Med-boarded, but I told the Doc, "Look, I have served my country for my entire adult life. There are guys on active duty who are missing limbs and eyes and shit. There's gotta be something I can do." So now I am just being forced to reclass.

Don't suck it up. Get it taken care of now. I know I'm echoing what everyone else has said, but damn. Do it or end up paying later.

[AntonA2W]

As said prior, GET IT DOCUMENTED, get copies, find current med records, lock them in a safe, funny how paperwork disappears when you need it. Anyone who has to deal with the VA will agree. Oh, and take it from someone who had a bone growth and scar tissue in my knee (3 surgeries), driving-on though it is admirable but pain happens for a reason, get it checked before permanent damage.