Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen can help to reduce inflammation and pain caused by a meniscus tear.
Avoid activities that aggravate your knee pain, especially any activity that causes you to twist, rotate or pivot your knee. If your pain is severe, using crutches can take pressure off your knee and promote healing.
Spontaneous healing is uncommon in adults, but may occur in some cases. Safe strengthening activities such as cycling which avoid twisting and hyperflexion. Optional anti-inflammatory medication (Diclofenac/Voltaren or Ibuprofen/Motrin) for 1-2 weeks. Arthroscopic surgery to trim the damaged meniscus.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen can help to reduce inflammation and pain caused by a meniscus tear. Acetaminophen can also help to manage pain but does not reduce inflammation.
There is often sharp pain when you twist or squat. Symptoms may go away but can come back from overuse or when you do activities that involve twisting. The pain may come and go over a period of years if the tear isn't treated. Larger tears usually cause more pain and immediate swelling and stiffness.
The amount of pain and first appearance of swelling can give important clues about where and how bad the injury is. Tell your doctor of any recurrent swelling or of your knee repeatedly giving way. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is often used to diagnose meniscal injuries.
How soon you can return to work depends on your job. If you sit at work, you may be able to go back in 1 to 2 weeks. But if you are on your feet at work, it may take 4 to 6 weeks. If you are very physically active in your job, it may take 3 to 6 months.
Is Walking Good for a Torn Meniscus? Walking can be useful to improve your weight-bearing tolerance and loosen up the knee. Meniscus injuries are often worsened by pivoting or twisting or bending motions. Walking can help with meniscus tear rehab.
Too much cold will keep your injury in the same state - slowing down the healing process. This can sometimes make chronic injuries linger even longer. Heat (Circulation Boost) should be used when you suffer from a chronic, tight or stiff meniscus injury and after you reduce swelling, pain and inflammation with cold.
Rest: This could mean resting on the bed or walking with crutches to distribute the pressure on your knees. Resting allows the injury to heal naturally, without any surgery.
Knee braces are recommended for those with meniscus tears or OA as they help reduce stress on the joints which knee sleeves don't. Knee braces are used for sports injuries to protect against further damage and provide stability when exercising.
Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days. Plus, suffering a torn meniscus may also increase your risk of complications, like developing osteoarthritis in that knee.
Typically, mild meniscus tears heal within two to three weeks. Symptoms of moderate meniscus tears or strains: Pain at the side or center of the knee.
Left untreated, a meniscus tear can limit your daily life and ability to participate in exercise and sports. In serious cases, it can develop into long-term knee problems, like arthritis.
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.
Medial meniscal root tears are associated with poor subjective knee function (24), and a relatively high proportion of these patients (31 %) require a knee replacement within five years (35), emphasising that medial root tears are part of a general degenerative process.
Pain in the knee joint. Swelling. Catching or locking of the knee joint. Inability to fully extend or bend the knee joint.
Symptoms of a meniscus tear may be different for each person, but some of the most common symptoms are: Pain in the knee joint: usually on the inside (medial), outside (lateral) or back of the knee. Swelling. Catching or locking of the knee joint.
Individuals with a meniscus tear often complain of pain along the joint line. They often have pain or weakness with bending the knee and sometimes they have a catching or locking sensation. With an acute tear, individuals may notice a lot of swelling in the knee and often report that they heard or felt a pop.
Lie down on your back with your knee bent. Ask a friend to rotate your foot to the inside of your leg and slowly extend your knee. If you feel pain or an inability to do so (like there's a block) this could be a sign you have a meniscus injury.
Untreated tears can progress and become worse over time. Progressive meniscus loss can increase the risk that a person will develop degenerative knee arthritis. It is important to get a diagnosis and seek treatment early.
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. Elevation: Rest with your leg raised higher than your heart to decrease swelling.