In your youth, your meniscus is a powerful piece of cartilage. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Whether you play sports or are very active in general, you could be at risk of a torn meniscus. First on this list is the Shock Doctor 870 Knee Brace. Yes. For a lot of us, running isn’t just exercise. Some of the damage might require a knee surgery with a 5-month recovery period. Building quad strength can help to decrease the pain associated with a meniscus injury and increase the likelihood of running on the knee again. The main reason I say this is that there have been several studies that show how it’s fairly common that acute meniscal tears also come with torn ACLs – and running could cause even more damage because of the instability from having those injuries. Allowing the inflammation that often accompanies a meniscus injury to subside is the first step towards recovery. Cross training using an elliptical or a bike is also helpful for allowing your knee time to recover from the rigors of running. On those days, maybe pass on the long, marathon-like activities. 2021 It is important not to push through pain as this can cause further damage to the knee and limit your options going forward. In both cases, pain with increased activity, limited range of motion, and instability are signs of a possible signifcant tear. If I have a torn meniscus what risks would I be taking by snowboarding once? Symptoms of a torn meniscus include knee pain, swelling, popping, and giving way. Regardless, this recovery period isn’t just about waiting. This can be accompanied by a clicking feeling. These are worse when the knee bears more weight (for example, when running). According to Competitive Edge Physical Therapy, it’s important that you use this time to strengthen your hips and quads as well as training to improve your mechanics. Plus, controlled exercise is a key part of the entire return-to-running rehab process. The menisci get weak over time and are more likely to tear. Typically a torn edge that becomes caught, causing extension of the tear, is painful, resulting in self-induced activity restrictions. We live in 21st century but there is no solution yet to Fix meniscus. Slowly perform a squat by sitting your buttocks backwards and allowing your knees to bend in a pain free range. How Tight Should A Compression Sleeve Be? 1, My treatment for a torn meniscus will depend on more than just how I hurt my knee. For most, but not all active people suffering from meniscus tears, surgery is the best way to alleviate pain and regain range of motion in the knee. Osteoarthritis can be the end result of a severe knee injury. It withstands force well. But, a more accurate answer would be that it depends on how your body responds to the meniscus tear and how significant the injury is. Swelling, which occurs because of inflammation and may make the knee painful to the touch. Meniscus Injury and its Symptoms. True You're right. Squats are a good way to activate and strengthen your quadriceps muscle. Generally in runners a small meniscal tear may mean running is painful either during or after their run and can produce swelling that takes a number of days to settle. Rather, it should be spent improving so you reduce your chances of suffering the same injury again. Hold this for 5 seconds and then straighten the knee until a similar stretch occurs. It’s a habit, a therapy of sorts, that makes it hard to live without putting one foot in front of the other. Moreover, research has associated running on these types of tears with an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis. You can also cause damage to your knee … A physical therapist can help design a specific program to minimize the chances of the pain returning. Performing activities that involve aggressive twisting and pivoting of the knee puts you at risk of a torn meniscus. Due to poor blood supply, the meniscus has very limited healing potential. Dr. Howard J. Luks, an orthopedic surgeon and himself an avid runner, describes it best when he says that the degenerative process on your menisci has been on-going for maybe the past decade, so you likely won’t damage your cartilage even more by running. Knee Force was started with one simple idea. , The muscles which act at the knee are predominantly the quadriceps (extension) and the hamstrings (flexion). Specifically … Tim Petrie is a sports medicine physical therapist and a certified orthopedic specialist practicing in Milwaukee, WI. In theory, any forceful flexing or contraction could potentially tear the meniscus. For example, when your knee joint feels more painful when you’re running versus walking. What should bother runners like you, however, is if an increase in your activity level hikes up the pain. Family Medicine 31 years experience. This time period needs to be checked with your surgeon as it can vary. By decreasing your overall weight and seeing a physical therapist who will help you correct your lower extremity control you will decrease the … The individual should not return to his/her exercise routine until the doctor will allow. But, if you’re a runner with a degenerative tear, the odds are better that you can continue running. Just to give you a short recap though, it all depends on the severity and kind of tear you have – and both can be inferred based on your symptoms. If the individual continues to run with a torn meniscus that is not fully healed, he/she is at risk for long-term or permanent damage to the knee. Decreasing the length of your steps by 10 percent forces you to strike the middle part of your foot when you land and diminishes the amount of force to which the knee is subjected. This common injury ranges from mild to severe, and severe cases usually need surgery. Knee injuries are more common in contact sports. The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. This may mean that your meniscus injury is severe enough to where it doesn’t distribute your weight as effectively as it normally should, leading to excessive forces to certain points in your knee. If you're unable to comfortably return to running after following the steps above, make sure to see a doctor about your lingering symptoms. The symptoms I just mentioned could be indicative of a significant tear or a compound injury and playing through this could cause more damage. I torn my meniscus recently Orthopaedic is pushing me for surgery. Unfortunately, it's quite common. With acute tears, you likely have to stop running for a weeks or months so the cartilage can fully heal. Degenerative tears may occur with minor movements and patients typically experience repetitive swelling but can’t recall a specific injury.

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