Walking doesn't inherently damage a healthy meniscus, but it can worsen a torn or degenerative meniscus, especially with twisting, squatting, or if pain increases, causing further damage or delaying healing. For minor tears, light walking might be okay, but signs like swelling, locking, or giving out mean you should rest and see a doctor, as continued activity can exacerbate the tear, potentially leading to arthritis.
Continuing with normal activities may make the injury worse, take longer to heal, or require more treatments. We recommend that individuals with swelling or knee pain should make an appointment with a knee specialist to get the joint examined and have the injury or pain diagnosed and a treatment plan established.
Exercises and Activities to Avoid
Three signs that you may have a torn cartilage (meniscus tear) are: Pain along the sides of the joint, or pain in the back of the knee which moves towards the back of the calf. The pain is usually worse when you put weight on the knee. It may be aggravated with twisting movements.
Hip extension (lying down, leg straight)
Keeping your leg straight, lift the toes of your affected leg about 6 inches off the floor. Hold for about 6 seconds and then slowly lower your leg. Repeat 8 to 12 times. It's a good idea to repeat these steps with your other leg.
Focus on Rest and Activity Modification
Rest gives your meniscus time to repair itself. However, complete inactivity can stiffen the joint and weaken the surrounding muscles. Instead, shift to low-impact activities. Walking on flat surfaces or swimming can keep you active without adding strain.
Avoiding twisting activities may decrease the symptoms from a torn meniscus. Additionally, one should do quadriceps setting exercises with the knee straight or mini-squats, bending only to 15 degrees, to prevent giving way and keep the quadriceps muscle from atrophying.
You might develop the following signs and symptoms in your knee:
Swimming can be a brilliant way to maintain some fitness when you've got a torn meniscus, but you can actually make it worse by doing the wrong things in the pool. In this video, Maryke shares some tips on how you can swim without aggravating your meniscus injury.
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.
Perimeniscal injections: a new gold standard for meniscus tear treatment. Perimeniscal injections offer a promising new pathway in the conservative management of degenerative meniscus tears. Degenerative meniscus tears are a common cause of persistent knee pain, especially in ageing and active populations.
You can also do this exercise while sitting on a chair with your heel extended on another stool or chair. Stationary bike: Riding a stationary bike is a significant part of knee meniscus tear exercise program.
Can physical therapy make a meniscus tear worse? The goal of physical therapy is always to improve your symptoms. Occasionally, you may leave a physical therapy session feeling a little more sore than you did initially, but these symptoms should subside within 1-2 days and overall your symptoms should be improving.
Pain is usually felt in the knee above the meniscus while bearing weight on the affected knee and/or when twisting, turning, or pivoting on the knee. This may occur while getting in and out of a car. Walking up or down stairs may be particularly painful and may also cause increased swelling in the knee.
Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory medications that can alleviate knee pain. Although corticosteroids injected directly into the knee do not heal a meniscus tear, they may reduce swelling and discomfort. Some people may experience long-lasting relief.
Typical timeline for meniscus tear healing and recovery
If you don't need surgery, you can expect several weeks or months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. A younger person with a mild tear might get better in 1-3 months, while someone who's 35 or older might need 3-6 months to achieve the same level of healing.
However, certain exercises can help speed up recovery. They include standing heel raises, mini squats, and hamstring heel slides. They can also make it less likely for the injury to return. People with a torn meniscus should discuss exercising with a doctor or physical therapist to ensure it is safe.
Rowing and biking are another two great activities to maintain physical fitness in the setting of degenerative meniscus tears.
Ordinarily, your doctor or physical therapist will ask you to reduce your sports activities while your meniscus tear heals. Healing could take between four and eight weeks.
Treatments for a meniscus tear
Sometimes, physiotherapy may be recommended to help reduce pain and improve movement and strength in the knee. If the damage is severe, you may need arthroscopy surgery to repair or remove the damaged cartilage.
For small or moderate meniscus tears, walking may still be possible, but excessive walking or prolonged standing could worsen pain and inflammation. If your knee feels stable and you can walk with minimal discomfort, light activity may be okay, but you should avoid excessive strain, twisting, or squatting movements.
Although knee braces do not heal or treat your meniscus tear directly, they can provide extra support and stability for your knee while your meniscus injury heals.
Cycling in Rehabilitation
Riding a stationary bike is often recommended during rehabilitation following surgery to repair a torn meniscus, according to the AAOS. Stationary bikes can be easily programmed to provide little resistance to your knee joint. They can also help you regain normal range of motion in your knee.
While injections temporarily reduce pain, they will not help heal the meniscus tear. Researchers have been developing stem-cell therapies that may help heal the injured tissue.