Military Injury ( Compartment Syndromes)

[veterans alliance]

Hey folks:

I was released in 1998 after 12 years of service due to an injury known as compartment yndromes which affects the muscle compartments of the lower anterior calf. Although I met a few folks with a simililar injury I would be interested to know or discuss this injury which has a tendency to cause muscle hernias and is found in recruits and those which are active.

How about it? Anyone ever had CS and if so what was the cause and treatment?

Also if you had this injury was it recognized by your MO and or othopods. Did they relate it to service and or footwear. I know it sounds like I'm fishing here and that I am.


Any comments are appreciated.

Mark Preston CD
cva@cogeco.ca

 

[The Bat]

Mark
No i dont have CS but i will ask around on my net for you and try and help you get some info.
UBIQUE

Wayne

 

[The_Falcon]

I have compartment syndrome.  I just recently (last Oct) had it properly diagnosed with a compartment pressure test.  How long have I had it, probably since I joined 5 years ago, I can remember clearly doing ruck marches and such and having excruciating pain in my calves.  I just chalked it up to improper stretching and and not doing enough marches.  What caused the condition in myself, I am unsure.  From the literature I have read from the net and speaking with various doctors with sports medicine backgrounds, many things led me to develop compartment syndrome, not all of them army related.  Some things that led me to develop it were ruckmarching (particularly with those crappy Mark 3's), heavy weight training. 

There are actually two types of compartment syndrome, Acute and Chronic.  Acute happens when you break a leg, or cause immiediate trauma to the compartment.  Chronic, is caused by overuse, overtraining and improper training.  Many people confuse chronic compartment syndrome with shin splints, pulled muscles, general "weakness".  As such they go for a long time (like me) without getting a propper diagnosis.  I didnt see my doctor about it until last Feb (04), and since then I have gone through all the treatment options (physio, electro-therapy, deep tissue massage, orthotics) none have worked.  When I was on pre-training things got worse.  My doctor assured me orthotics would help, they didn't in my case, so doing those BFT work ups really sucked.  Added were the fact that my platoon WO and Pl Cmd didn't fully understand (or believe me) what was wrong they just pushed me harder.  It wasn't till my Pl Cmd spoke with the Base MO (Meaford) and did some research on his own did he realize, just how screwed up my legs were, and how much pain I was in during those marches.  My calves would swell to the point I would lose sensation in my feet, and I was close to tear on some of those marches.

The Base referred me to the Toronto Sport and Exercise Medicine Insitute, were they performed a test to measure the pressure within my leg (they had me walk on treadmill until I started feeling pain, then after 15 mins, they stuck a special needle into my leg to record the pressure inside the compartment) the doc said Normal presure after the 15min elapsed was supposed to be 10-15mmHg, my reading was 22mmHg which is very high.  He attributed my condition to the footwear (he though I was joking when I showed him the Mark3 and told him thats what we wear), and my overtraining with weights (so partly my fault, partly army's). After talking to him and telling him all the other treatments have failed, I have been refered to a surgeon (through my civy doctor, I told the army to take a hike, there was no way I was going to let them touch me).  I see the surgeon next week, and from there I don't know.  All I know is for the time being, I can't do anything more than drive a truck  (which isn't that bad cept my trade is infantry).

Here are some links with more info
http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic739.htm
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/lowerleg/anteriorcompart.htm
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/cmpt.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001224.htm
http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/1999/03_99/swain.htm
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1996/04_96/edwards.htm
http://www.aapsm.org/chroniccompartment.html

 

[Rad Op 211]

Hatchet Man +Veterans Alliance -  Hello to you 2. Hatchet Man and Veterans Alliance - I have some advice for you. After being thru the VA process for going on 7 years, you need to make sure you get a copy of each piece of paper that a Dr/ Physio/ etc fills out on you. You should now apply for a disability pension. Call their 1-800 number or see them on your base. From experience I can guarantee that your first crack out it will be turned down. This happens 90% of the time. It's their way of screwing us veterans and trying to get rid of you. Be persistant and appeal it at every step. Never admit, or write it in your application that you had something to do with you injury. You are in the Forces and your job caused the injury. Go for it. It's tax free money and good luck. 

 

[patswin]

Hi i have had both legs operated on 2003/2004. So far the surgery has been reasonably successful. I rushed back too soon after the first operation and that leg still has occasional probs. I took my time for the other leg and everything is fine so far.Yes they did say it was caused by military service and DVA recognized that as well. I have heard of quite a few people with this problem but never released because of it. My surgeon (civie DR) said it was very common in military members and stated that a lot of the prob was the old style cbt boots, which I don't even put on my Feet anymore.
          For many years I suffered with the symptoms and was told my military mo's and medics '' It's just shin splints etc here is some anti inflames'' Then I finally got hold of a bang on physio therapist who figured it out within minutes.I am fighting DVA about it , they say it is from service but are hesitant about settling my claim. I am sorry to hear about you being released because of this because my Surgeon said most people make a full recovery .Were you by chance infantry? Most cases I hear about are infantry.I at the moment am armd,next month mse op . Let me know if you have any more questions about this as I am curious how your treatment went etc
    Kevin

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

I have it/had it.  I had the operation.  This injury is becoming more prominate.  I am also being compensated for it by DVA.  I believe for me that it was an injury that developed over time with no clear cause.

 

[The_Falcon]

I am still in, however like I said after speaking with the doctor who performed the test, I am partly to blame.  When I first started weight-training about 7 years ago, I discover very quickly that I could do leg exercises with tremendous amounts of weight.  I quickly piled on the plates without giving my legs much time to adapt.  The doctor told me that my habit of doing one legged standing calf raise with over 1000lbs definetly attributed to the problem.

 

[The_Falcon]

This injury is becoming more prominate.   I believe for me that it was an injury that developed over time with no clear cause.

To true, with advent of the internet it easier now to find out information on these kinds of problems.  When I first when to a MO, they told me shinsplints. I didn't feel that diagonsis was right so I looked up shin splints and came across the symptoms of compartment syndrome (which many confuse for shin splints) Next day went to my family doc who just happens to be a marthon runner and is well versed on many running injuries, described the symptoms and he told me I was right, it compartment syndrome. 

And like all the info in the links I provide say, while most people who develop compartment syndrome are usually runners, they (medical community) are not quite sure what the causes it.

I suggest that in addition to the fitness theory training that is now part of PLQ, that all supervisors, through their career training courses be required to take a course that is specific to the kinds of problems people face when doing alot of running, ruckmarching etc.  Things like what is shin splints/compartment syndrom, signs and symptoms, treatments etc.  It has been my experience that most people in this army are quite ignorant about these things, and chalk up any pain a troop is suffering to the fact they are lazy, unfit etc.  If the NCO's and officers who run pt sessions are fully aware of these conditions and talk to there troops about them, we would be able to correct problems before things like surgery are needed.

 

[Rhu]

Hatchet Man and any other who have had compartment syndrome - How are your symptoms now?

I was diagnosed with CS and had surgeries over a year ago.  I am still experiencing pain from walking/running/hiking or anything that uses my shin muscles.  It seems like the surgeries were successful as far as relieving pressure in the fascia but I have been told that my nerves are either still irritated or that resulting scar tissue is causing my pain.  Has anyone experienced anything similar?  What treatments have helped? 

 

[The_Falcon]

I still get pain from time to time as everything stretches out.  And this is 10 years later almost.  1 year out and having pain seems normal.  Quite a bit of tissue will have been affected.  If you can, I would suggest going to a physio/athletic therapist and work on your ankle mobility/flexibility. "Ungluing" tightness in your ankles so to speak, will help feed slack into your calves, and relieve some of the problems.  Given how recent your surgery was, make sure you get a medical opinion first, to make sure you aren't going to mess up the healing process. 

 

[Robert0288]

Hey Hatchet Man, any particular series of stretches or exercises you can share?

 

[The_Falcon]

Hey Hatchet Man, any particular series of stretches or exercises you can share?

"Becoming a Supple Leopard" By Kelly Starett

 

[CVRTD]

Hatchet Man and any other who have had compartment syndrome - How are your symptoms now?

I was diagnosed with CS and had surgeries over a year ago. I am still experiencing pain from walking/running/hiking or anything that uses my shin muscles. It seems like the surgeries were successful as far as relieving pressure in the fascia but I have been told that my nerves are either still irritated or that resulting scar tissue is causing my pain. Has anyone experienced anything similar? What treatments have helped?

HI, i woulkd like to know i had surgery for that too but same as you still feel the pain......did you add problem with vac ??

 

[CVRTD]

Hatchet Man and any other who have had compartment syndrome - How are your symptoms now?

I was diagnosed with CS and had surgeries over a year ago. I am still experiencing pain from walking/running/hiking or anything that uses my shin muscles. It seems like the surgeries were successful as far as relieving pressure in the fascia but I have been told that my nerves are either still irritated or that resulting scar tissue is causing my pain. Has anyone experienced anything similar? What treatments have helped?

Yes me, have you talk wirt va ? if so can you help me please i am in the process to right now !