Noteboom The Law Firm

Arthritis a Growing Concern For Young Veterans

There are many concerns young soldiers have when deploying to combat; arthritis is not generally one of them. Stars And Stripes, however, is reporting this is becoming a growing concern for veterans at much younger ages, as their work is increasingly requiring them to put more and more stress on their joints, which is causing more cases of veterans with disabilities.

It is not uncommon for today's soldier to carry 50-60 pounds of equipment on their body for the majority of the day. Much like trucks overburdened with armor plates that have ruined their suspensions, today's combat soldiers are feeling the result of being overburdened with equipment.

Arthritis is no longer something only older people get. Degenerative arthritis (DA) has become a reality for many of today's young troops, and is much more common than originally believed. A recent study documented the disparity between the high levels of younger soldiers with DA compared to the very low level of young civilians with DA. Many combat-injured soldiers are being separated from the military for post-traumatic arthritis.

The cause of DA seems to be two-fold: first, there are the physical demands today's military makes on young combat troops. Second, there are soldiers who are injured, and still forced to carry those same heavy loads. The injuries are never given time to fully rest and recover. Service-related injuries cause much more damage when never given the chance to be fully treated.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.