Your doctor may recommend the RICE regimen—
Stem Cell treatment of meniscus tears offers patients a minimally invasive same-day injection procedure that may help heal the injured tissue and allow the individual to avoid the painful and lengthy recovery that typically follows surgery, as well as the long term impact to the knee as a result of removing sections of ...
Use a cold pack, a bag of frozen vegetables or a towel filled with ice cubes for about 15 minutes at a time, keeping your knee elevated. Do this every 4 to 6 hours the first day or two, and then as often as needed. Medication. Over-the-counter pain relievers also can help ease knee pain.
A cortisone shot can help decrease the inflammation and pain caused by a torn meniscus. A cortisone shot usually does not help in healing of the meniscus and, hence, does not improve any mechanical symptoms. If a meniscus is repairable, then a cortisone shot is not preferred as it may impair healing of the meniscus.
The injury won't heal on its own, which means it may continue getting worse without proper care. For example, a partial tear may continue to worsen until it's a complete tear. Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days.
Avoid positions and activities that place excessive pressure on knee until pain and swelling resolve. Problematic positions include squatting, pivoting, repetitive bending (eg, climbing stairs, rising from seated position, operating clutch and pedals), jogging, and swimming using the frog or whip kick.
Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery.
Can I cycle with a meniscus tear? Cycling is a good exercise for recovery from a meniscus tear, as it is a very low impact and straight-lined exercise. Issues may arise if the range of movement of the knee is very limited by the injury and swelling and unable to complete the revolution of the pedal smoothly.
Management and Treatment
RICE stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. Rest: Keep your weight off the injured knee as much as possible. Ice: Place an ice pack on your knee for about 20 minutes, several times a day. Compression: Wrap your knee with a compression bandage to help reduce swelling.
If not treated, part of the meniscus may come loose and slip into the joint. You may need surgery to restore full knee function. Untreated meniscus tears can increase in size and lead to complications, such as arthritis.
A meniscus tear interferes with the normal movement of the knee, and without treatment, you can wind up with serious, lifelong problems.
Consistent use of vitamin D supplements over 4 years of 400 IU at least once a week was associated with significantly less worsening of cartilage, meniscus and bone marrow abnormalities (odds ratio range: 0.40 to 0.56, p<0.05).
Some exercises are too strenuous for people with meniscus tears. A person should not: do deep squats. do any exercise that involves pivoting or that otherwise twists the knee.
Resting your knee will allow for quicker restoration. You can use crutches to aid in moving around without straining your knee. You should ice your knee for about 15 minutes every few hours until the swelling is gone. Using a leg cuff or elastic band to compress your knee will also help to reduce swelling and pain.
Most meniscus injuries get better with conservative treatment (such as physiotherapy) and in very few instances has surgery been found to provide superior outcomes both in the short and long term.
If the tear is located on the outer part of the meniscus, there is a chance that it may heal well on its own. However, if the tear is on the inner two-thirds – where blood supply is limited – it will most likely require surgery.
You will have a physical examination to find out if you have a torn meniscus and to rule out other knee injuries. Your doctor will check both knees for tenderness, range of motion, and knee stability. X-rays are usually done. Based on your symptoms and the physical examination, your doctor may diagnose a meniscus tear.
So unfortunately, having a meniscal tear which requires surgery may raise your risk of getting arthritis later in life. It has also been shown that a knee that has undergone meniscus surgery has weaker thigh muscles and poorer quality of cartilage 4 years after the surgery [3].
A tear is usually labeled as severe if the meniscus has a big tear. Loose pieces may cause the knee joint to lock or catch. This level of injury may also keep you from bending or straightening your leg and can make walking difficult. Severe tears usually require surgery to repair.
If you have knee pain and have been told you have a suspected meniscal tear either from an exam or from MRI, much of the time this can heal on its own with 4-6 weeks of rest, doing some physical therapy that would focus on some range of motion and strengthening exercises and correcting any biomechanical problems that ...
Range of motion may be limited due to pain, swelling, and/or mechanical limits from the tear. Daily activities such as walking up and down the stairs, walking down a hill, kneeling, and squatting are often made difficult due to increased pain in the knee.