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.
Prop up the sore leg on a pillow when you ice your knee or any time you sit or lie down during the next 3 days. Try to keep your leg above the level of your heart. This will help reduce swelling.
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.
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.
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.
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. However, the time depends on the severity and position of the tear.
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.
Not everyone with a meniscus tear will have severe pain. In fact, many of you may have no pain at all if you give your knee a few weeks to rest. If your pain persists despite a few weeks of rest or PT then we may consider repairing your tear.
In severe tears, pieces of the torn meniscus can move into the joint space. This can make your knee catch, pop, or lock. You may not be able to straighten it. Your knee may feel "wobbly" or buckle without warning.
Sleep on your back with the leg slightly elevated
This is especially important during the first few days after meniscus surgery. Keeping the leg elevated (but not bent!) encourages healthy circulation, which helps keep pain and swelling in check.
Will a knee brace help a torn meniscus? Yes. 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.
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.
Your doctor may recommend the RICE regimen—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—to treat a meniscus tear. Resting your knee can help relieve your symptoms. Your doctor may suggest using a cane for a few weeks to keep weight off your knee and to stay away from physical activity that may have contributed to the injury.
In a typical moderate tear, you feel pain at the side or in the center of the knee, depending on where the tear is. Often, you are still able to walk. Swelling usually increases slowly over a few days and may make the knee feel stiff and limit bending.
Physical therapy can help with strengthening your muscles and helping your tissue and cartilage to heal. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average recovery time for a torn meniscus is between 4 to 8 weeks.
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.
Tip #1: Avoid Sitting With Your Knee Bent Or Cross-Legged
This can also increase the pressure on your knee joints, which can cause pain and swelling. To give your knees relief, limit the amount of time you spend with your knees bent or crossed. Try to have them straight whenever possible.
The athlete with a meniscal tear is often treated with meniscectomy or meniscal repair, depending on the size and location of the tear. Potential sequelae of meniscal injuries include the loss of in-season competition days and diminished career longevity.
A compression sleeve is helpful in supporting meniscus tears to aid in reducing the inflammation, to relieve pain and provide stability following an injury. Compression sleeves are supportive knee braces for the entire knee joint.
Typically, you should limit knee movement as much as possible during the days following the meniscus tear. You may be given a cast or brace to immobilize your knee. You can also expect to use crutches for a few weeks, which will prevent your affected knee from having to bear too much weight.
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.
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.