Dealing with runners knee in the latter years of my Army career, does anyone have advice on how to treat it?

2015-05-02T12:15:22-04:00

After years of ruck marches, running, and schools, I have been experiencing some aches in my knees. Being flat footed doesn't help, but I have implemented measures to deal with that.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2015 12:19 PM

2015-05-02T12:19:58-04:00

So I have this problem myself. I asked my provider and he basically said that it's due to age and over use. Mine was from long distance running. He recommended cutting down on the distance, and adding something like osteo biflex. Unfortunately I think it's a consequence of age and use. Both of my provider's recommendations have helped immensely.

Response by SGT Michael Touchet made May 2 at 2015 12:19 PM

2015-05-02T12:19:31-04:00

I have had an ACL reconstruction, most of my meniscus removed and suffer from constant knee pain. I try to keep my weight down and use the elliptical machine or bike to exercise. I try to use ice as much as possible for swelling. I think that I'm too young for knee replacement as I hear that you only get so many miles on a knee replacement. I am also interested in hearing who else might have some alternatives.

Response by SFC David Hickman made May 2 at 2015 2:01 PM

2015-05-02T14:01:02-04:00

Try to use civilian ortho. 19 years of infantry have trashed my right knee, but the civilian ortho physical therapy has helped me rebound, more than I had expected. No cartilage on my right patella. Every 6 months I get 6 Synvisc knee injectons, 3 in each knee. Synvisc is a synthetic "hylan" protien developed in germany. Works wonders. I would suggest starting as early as possible for maintenance of your knees or you will hit a time period like I did: over 3 year period everything started breaking down, which is a nogo in a rifle platoon. MEDCOM and PAs wasted 5 years with me trying to tell me it was just tendon issues. Then an older SF PA at an Ortho clinic in Yongsan Korea hooked me up. Said that I should have been getting synvisc injections a few years earlier. They also have PRP or "Platelet Rich Plasma" injections. That's where they take your blood, run it thru a centrifuge, separating the plasma and white blood cells and inject the plasma/white cells into each knee.....not cortizone injections. Typical TMCs will blow you off and not take care of your needs. An "undisclosed" physical therapist stated to me that the Army wastes time and money trying to push profiles/motrin and half hearted physical therapy rather than genuine treatment/physical therapy at the start of the condition discovery/injury. The civilian Ortho physical therapist actually measured my knees at different bended positions and discovered that my right knee cap was not riding in the correct position and my quad muscles where trying to keep it pulled out of position, thereby destroying the cartilage. Something that Army medicine should have caught. Now I'm 42, getting ready to retire and I need knee replacement, but they want to wait because I'm too young and they're trying to do maintenance. I could not even do non impact cardio, swim, etc. Now that they(civilians) have been treating me, my right patella is going back to where it needs to be and I'm able to do non-impact cardio. It's not a cure all, but the condition only gets worse if you are not genuinely cared for.