You finished your last ruck march years ago, but your knees still ache when you climb stairs. Your lower back throbs after standing for an hour. Your feet hurt in ways that never quite go away. The weight is gone, but the damage remains—and the VA should recognize what those miles did to your body.
Veterans who carried heavy rucksacks during service often face chronic disabilities that worsen over time. These injuries don’t always show up immediately, but they rarely disappear. Understanding how rucksack marches damage the body—and how to prove that connection to the VA—can make the difference between denial and approval.
At the Law Office of Sean Kendall, our experienced Veterans benefit lawyers help service members nationwide prove the connection between their military service and their current disabilities. We work with medical professionals who understand the biomechanical realities of load-bearing injuries, building claims that show exactly how rucksack marches caused the chronic pain and limitations Veterans face today. You carried the weight. Now it’s time to secure the benefits you earned. After reading this article, contact us to learn how we can help.
What Do Rucksack Marches Do to Your Body?
They aren’t just difficult—they're destructive. Soldiers routinely carry loads between 50 and 120 pounds over uneven terrain, often for miles at a time. That weight compresses joints, strains muscles, and creates repetitive stress injuries that accumulate with every step.
Spinal Damage and Chronic Back Pain
Your spine wasn’t built to handle sustained vertical compression under extreme loads. When you carry a heavy rucksack, the lumber vertebrae absorb disproportionate force with every footfall. Over time, this leads to degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, and severe lower back pain that limits mobility and endurance. Some Veterans develop nerve impingement conditions like sciatica, where radiating pain shoots down the legs and makes standing or walking unbearable.
Cervical spine injuries also occur when soldiers adjust their posture to compensate for pack weight. Leaning forward to balance the load strains neck muscles and compresses cervical discs, leading to chronic neck pain, headaches, and reduced range of motion.
Knee and Joint Deterioration
Knees take a beating during rucksack marches. The added weight increases impact forces on the patellofemoral joint and meniscus, accelerating cartilage breakdown. Veterans frequently develop osteoarthritis, meniscal tears, and patellar tendinitis—conditions that worsen with age and activity.
Hip joints face similar stress. The repetitive motion of marching under heavy loads damages cartilage and inflames surrounding tissues, leading to hip pain, reduced flexibility, and early-onset arthritis.
Foot and Ankle Injuries
Ankles and feet absorb shock with every step, and rucksack marches multiply that force exponentially. Stress fractures in the metatarsals are common, often associated with chronic conditions like plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. Some Veterans develop flatfoot or other structural deformities when the arches collapse under sustained pressure.
Ankle sprains sustained during ruck marches may seem minor at the time, but repeated injuries weaken ligaments and contribute to chronic instability and pain.
How Do Disabilities Show Up Years Later?
Rucksack march injuries often follow a delayed timeline. You might finish your service without obvious symptoms, only to find that pain and limitations emerge in your 30s or 40s. This happens because cumulative damage doesn’t always announce itself immediately—cartilage wears thin gradually, discs degenerate over time, and inflammation builds slowly until it becomes disabling.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes service-connected disabilities even when they manifest years after discharge, but proving that connection requires documentation and medical evidence. Veterans must show that their current condition is “as least as likely as not” related to their military service.
How Does Sean Kendall, Attorney at Law, Help You Build a Strong VA Claim for Ruck March Injuries?
Winning a VA disability claim for rucksack march injuries depends on three elements: evidence of the injury occurring during service, a current diagnosis, and a medical opinion linking the two. Here’s what we recommend.
Document Your Service Records
Start with your service records. Look for documentation of ruck marches, physical training requirements, deployment records, or any medical treatment you received during service for joint pain, back issues, or foot injuries. Even if you didn’t report pain at the time, evidence that you participated in activities involving heavy load-bearing can support your claim.
If your service records are incomplete, statements from fellow service members who witnessed your participation in rucksack marches can fill gaps. These buddy statements carry weight when they describe specific events or consistent training conditions.
Obtain a Current Medical Diagnosis
The VA requires a current diagnosis of your disability. Schedule appointments with health care providers who can document your knee pain, back issues, or foot conditions through examinations and diagnostic imaging, X-rays, MRIs, and other tests to provide objective evidence of joint deterioration, disc damage, or structural problems.
Be specific when describing your symptoms to medical providers. Explain how your condition limits daily activities, affects your ability to work, and reduces your quality of life.
Secure a Medical Nexus Opinion
This is often the most critical piece of your claim. It’s a statement from a qualified medical professional explaining how your current disability is connected to your military service. The physician should review your service records, current medical evidence, and the biomechanical realities of rucksack marches to establish a clear link.
A strong nexus opinion addresses how repetitive stress from carrying heavy loads during service caused or aggravated your current condition. It should reference medical literature on load-bearing injuries and explain why your disability is “at least as likely as not” service-connected.
When the VA Denies Your Claim
Many Veterans receive initial denials for ruck march injury claims, often because the VA argues there’s insufficient evidence of service connection or questions whether the disability is related to military service. These denials aren’t final.
You have the right to appeal and submit additional evidence. Veterans who work with legal professionals experienced in VA disability claims often see better outcomes on appeal. At the Law Office of Sean Kendall, our accomplished attorneys understand the evidence requirements and know how to present effective medical arguments to the VA.
You Carried the Weight—Now Claim What You Earned
Rucksack march injuries don’t fade with time. The damage accumulates, the pain persists, and the limitations grow. You served your country by carrying heavy loads over long distances, and the VA owes you recognition for the harm that service caused.
If you’re living with chronic pain, joint deterioration, or mobility issues linked to rucksack marches during your Army service, we’ll help you build a strong claim, gather the right evidence, and fight for the benefits you’ve earned.
