The pain is temporary but if there is some inflammation, use a Cold Compress or Ice Pack on your knee, as it naturally relieves pain and inflammation. Once pain and swelling is non-existent, a heat treatment (via the Knee TShellz Wrap®) should be considered to encourage healing of the underlying injury.
Following injury to a meniscus, you should NOT undertake activities which increase blood flow to the injured area. These include hot showers, heat rubs, the consumption of alcohol and excessive activity. These may increase the bleeding and swelling within the knee and potentially prolong your recovery.
During the first few days after you've torn your meniscus, applying ice to the injury and elevating your knee periodically can reduce swelling. Wearing a compression bandage may also reduce swelling.
You should not put all of your weight on your leg if it hurts or if your doctor tells you not to. Rest and self-care may be enough to allow the tear to heal. You may need to use crutches. Afterward, you will learn exercises to make the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around your knee stronger and more flexible.
A torn meniscus usually produces well-localized pain in the knee. The pain often is worse during twisting or squatting motions. Unless the torn meniscus has locked the knee, many people with a torn meniscus can walk, stand, sit, and sleep without pain.
Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery.
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. A good brace will protect your knee and take the pressure off your meniscus, allowing it to rest.
Meniscus tears are commonly diagnosed and treated with physical therapy, chiropractic, and massage.
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.
A little swelling often develops slowly over a couple of days. Many times, people can walk with only a little pain, although pain increases when you squat, lift, or rise from a seated position. These symptoms usually go away, although you may still have pain when you bend or twist your knee.
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.
“You can live with a meniscus tear,” Dr. Parker says. “And it may heal on its own, or just not cause you problems.” However, you'll know pretty quickly when it is a problem.
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.
Sleeping positions
This is especially true if you're a stomach or side sleeper, and you can't lay in your regular position due to the location of the incisions on your knee. Generally, learning how to sleep after meniscus surgery means sleeping on your back with your leg slightly elevated.
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.
Over time, a meniscus tear may become more severe and cause further damage if left untreated. Further, certain activities may cause symptoms to flare up. Some patients might find it difficult and painful to climb stairs, or even to get out of bed.
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.
Tears that won't heal
The outside of the meniscus has a rich blood supply and access to blood cells that help regenerate new meniscus tissue and spur healing. The inside of the meniscus, however, is blood-poor and may take a long time to heal on its own, if it ever does.