What % do you think obesity contributes to the health problems in our country? (ETA - and why is rucking the best answer? :) ) Part II

[Toddrn]

My orthopedic surgeon (sports medicine specialist) says this type of tear is not really surgically reparable. Apparently, most tears are around the edges, whereas my tear goes more or less straight into the middle, where there's no blood supply. You surely know more about this than me, but from talking to him only the outer third or so of the meniscus has blood supply, so stitches to the middle section are only there to hold things in place, but the meniscus won't actually heal.

He told me he could 'repair' it surgically, but that he wouldn't count on it holding. Could last six weeks, could last six months, but almost certainly would't last six years (unless I stopped working out). I go in every year or so for a checkup and he's said as long as there isn't any extra damage, I can put off a TKR as long as I can withstand the pain. Most days it's fine, just uncomfortable, but occasionally it gets pretty bad, that's when ice and compression sleeves are my friends.

I just keep reminding myself it could be worse, and Goggins would tell me to stop whining and do the work.

Neither of my tears were where there was good blood flow. What he did was clean it up and smooth it out. That way it allows the bones to slide on the meniscus, like they should, without catching or pinching down on the tear. It's a very simple and quick procedure. Might be worth a shot and move that TKR further out.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

@crimsonaudio

Almost every single time I ruck, my Achilles tendon is very sore/hurts. Always my left too. Am I doing something wrong. I never have this issue biking.

 

[crimsonaudio]

@crimsonaudio

Almost every single time I ruck, my Achilles tendon is very sore/hurts. Always my left too. Am I doing something wrong. I never have this issue biking.

Couple of things - you're probably going heavier / faster than your legs are ready for - I'd try lowering your ruck weight and / or your ruck speed to see if that helps. Also, shoe selection is critical wrt rucking - took me almost a year to find the right shoe for me. Everyone's physiology is different so you need to experiment with different shoes, but you need to make sure it has good cushioning.

You also need to make sure your current shoes aren't worn out - after about 400 miles on a pair of shoes I can start feeling it in my knees and feet - the cushioning is toast (by that point the soles are generally shot, too, so replacement inserts don't help).

Finally, if you're not using a simple heel-lock with your shoestrings, I'd highly recommend it - once your heel is 'locked' into the back of the shoe and that movement is reduced, you'll generally find a lot of things feel better wrt your feet.

In short:
- reduce the weight - even if it seems light - it takes a while (and consistent training) for all the little support muscles in your feet and legs to strengthen and grow accustomed to supporting the load
- check your shoes - if they're old / worn, replace them. It's worth going to a specialty shop (at least until you find your go to shoe) that can fit you with a good pair.
- train regularly: 3x per week is good enough to build those support muscles. When it becomes too easy, add a bit more weight.

Lastly, if you find this issues persists even when not rucking, go see a doc. Could be a bone spur or similar that's only exacerbated by the increased load of rucking.

 

[Padreruf]

My orthopedic surgeon (sports medicine specialist) says this type of tear is not really surgically reparable. Apparently, most tears are around the edges, whereas my tear goes more or less straight into the middle, where there's no blood supply. You surely know more about this than me, but from talking to him only the outer third or so of the meniscus has blood supply, so stitches to the middle section are only there to hold things in place, but the meniscus won't actually heal.

He told me he could 'repair' it surgically, but that he wouldn't count on it holding. Could last six weeks, could last six months, but almost certainly would't last six years (unless I stopped working out). I go in every year or so for a checkup and he's said as long as there isn't any extra damage, I can put off a TKR as long as I can withstand the pain. Most days it's fine, just uncomfortable, but occasionally it gets pretty bad, that's when ice and compression sleeves are my friends.

I just keep reminding myself it could be worse, and Goggins would tell me to stop whining and do the work.

As a pastor I had literall dozens of members have TKR...to a person they told me they wish they had done it sooner. My spouse has had both knees replaced and she swears by it -- including both hips and one shoulder. Arthritis is rampant in her body -- genetics! Her twin sister is on the same path.

I've had one knee scoped and a shot in the other -- both are fine.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Couple of things - you're probably going heavier / faster than your legs are ready for - I'd try lowering your ruck weight and / or your ruck speed to see if that helps. Also, shoe selection is critical wrt rucking - took me almost a year to find the right shoe for me. Everyone's physiology is different so you need to experiment with different shoes, but you need to make sure it has good cushioning.

You also need to make sure your current shoes aren't worn out - after about 400 miles on a pair of shoes I can start feeling it in my knees and feet - the cushioning is toast (by that point the soles are generally shot, too, so replacement inserts don't help).

Finally, if you're not using a simple heel-lock with your shoestrings, I'd highly recommend it - once your heel is 'locked' into the back of the shoe and that movement is reduced, you'll generally find a lot of things feel better wrt your feet.

In short:
- reduce the weight - even if it seems light - it takes a while (and consistent training) for all the little support muscles in your feet and legs to strengthen and grow accustomed to supporting the load
- check your shoes - if they're old / worn, replace them. It's worth going to a specialty shop (at least until you find your go to shoe) that can fit you with a good pair.
- train regularly: 3x per week is good enough to build those support muscles. When it becomes too easy, add a bit more weight.

Lastly, if you find this issues persists even when not rucking, go see a doc. Could be a bone spur or similar that's only exacerbated by the increased load of rucking.

I will skip the ruck tonight and reduce the weight from 25 to 15 maybe even 10. My coworker said I was doing too much too fast and I didn't listen.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I will skip the ruck tonight and reduce the weight from 25 to 15 maybe even 10. My coworker said I was doing too much too fast and I didn't listen.

Also, don't underestimate the power of icing these types of injuries - short of a surgical procedure, 99% of the advice you get from an ortho doc is going to be 'ice it and take NSAIDs'.

 

[crimsonaudio]

As a pastor I had literall dozens of members have TKR...to a person they told me they wish they had done it sooner. My spouse has had both knees replaced and she swears by it -- including both hips and one shoulder. Arthritis is rampant in her body -- genetics! Her twin sister is on the same path.

I've had one knee scoped and a shot in the other -- both are fine.

Yeah, now that they've developed 'athletic' knee joints I've been thinking about it. Otherwise, I was told I would likely wear out a typical replacement in about a decade (due to my daily training) and would have to go through it again.

It sure would be nice to be free of this constant pain, but I know there are lots of people living with much worse.