17 August 2010
Most soldiers sustain injuries at some point in their career. It is a personal choice whether they let the injury get on top of them, gain weight, lose fitness and compromise their career development, or whether they seek treatment, take advice, keep fit and recover as quickly as possible.
LCPL X* always wanted to become a Commando, but his first assessment was cut down by a knee injury before it even started. The injury—an ACL rupture— is a serious knee injury (rupturing the main ligament inside the knee) that takes 8-12 months to recover from. The following story shows his journey to assessment thanks to effective rehabilitation and a top attitude.
Spending six months in Afghanistan training myself to be fit and ready for the challenge of the November 2008 Commando Assessment, I returned home only to rupture my ACL on the first night back in country, having a quiet beer or two with some mates.
Realising I had done myself a serious injury I sought help at the Linton ‘Back to Action’ Centre. Promptly and enthusiastically assessed and diagnosed, I was almost immediately sweating it out with the other injured personnel from Camp attending rehabilitation classes held three mornings a week.
Having been given the time and freedom from my Unit Command to get myself fit to fight again, I was able to attend further injury-specific rehab classes. My physiotherapist and I put a lot of work into getting my knee as strong as possible before I went in for knee reconstruction.
Rehab continued up until surgery, then began immediately after, focusing firstly on reducing the swelling and regaining a range of motion, and then starting work on regaining strength. These were tentative times due to the frailty of the reconstruction site. It would have been very easy to overdo it and undo all the surgery. I had to obey the physio’s every instruction to ensure everything realigned itself the way it’s meant to be.
Due to the fitness and strength gained prior to surgery and doing what I was told post surgery, the goals laid down by my physio were quickly achieved and it wasn’t long before I was lightly running again and able to return to rehab classes. I was also fortunate enough to attend an ACL rehab class with another soldier who had the same surgery at the same time as me. This class three times a week after lunch focused specifically on ACL rehabilitation.
The 12 week challenge was then laid down to me by my physio, Lieutenant Raylene Kirk. The objectives were to improve cardio fitness, muscular strength, flexibility and body composition. This was assessed by a baseline fitness assessment, and then sessions focused on general fitness, followed by a one month reassessment and targeted training of strengthening and range of motion exercises particular to my surgery.
Part way through the 12 week challenge, with my rehabilitation rocketing along, another Commando Assessment was rumoured to be beginning in November. The realisation of my long term goal of making the next assessment was looking possible. Further discussions with my physio gained the support and confidence I needed to start loading up my training.
So now in addition to the 12 week challenge sessions three mornings a week, and ACL class three times a week, I started riding to and from work each day, and took on early morning gym sessions for overall strength. I also undertook lunch time circuits for further cardio but also to test out my knee with different activities and regain further confidence in its ability to function as a knee should.
At the completion of the 12 week challenge, the goals set down all achieved, I was officially signed off the rehab books. Two weeks later I was standing on the start of the November 09 Commando Entry Assessment which I passed with no major issues from my freshly reconstructed knee.
A little over a year since my surgery date, I have completed employment training and I’m a badged Commando.
I have a massive appreciation and respect for all the professional and knowledgeable staff of the Linton ‘Back to Action’ Centre. They were unrelenting in their support and commitment to helping me rehabilitate my knee and achieve my goals. My physio was there every step of the way from when I first approached the centre for help, sweating it out on the exercise machines next to me, challenging me to keep up, and finally stopping the stopwatch as I crossed the RFL finish line for my final fitness assessment. Could you ask for anything more?
*name changed to protect identity.
|
Initial Testing
(Jul 09) |
6 Weeks
(Sep 09) |
12 Weeks
(Oct 09) |
| 2.4km run (mins) |
10.24 |
9.08 |
8.52 |
| MSFT |
11.2 |
12.4 |
13.1 |
| Press up |
40 |
43 |
51 |
| Core Test (mins) |
3.00 |
3.00 |
3.00 |
| Leg Press (Kg 1RM) |
187 |
293 |
293 |
| Hm Curl (kg 1 RM) |
53 |
79 |
72 |
| Calf RaiseL/R |
21/32 |
40/40 |
50/50 |
| Sit & Reach (cm) |
27 |
27 |
35 |
ACL Rupture
An Anterior Cruciate Rupture (ACL) involves the complete tear on one of the two main ligaments that are inside the knee. The ACL prevents the tibia (lower leg bone) from moving forward on the femur (upper leg bone). The Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) prevents the femur moving backwards on the tibia. Although most non-sporting individuals can get away without having a PCL, we all rely on our ACL for correct knee support and tension.