Meniscus tear is a common knee injury that caused knee joint pain.
What is meniscus?
Each knee joint contains medial (inner) meniscus and lateral (outer) meniscus. Meniscus are cartilage tissue which act like shock absorbers in the knee joint. It distribute our body weight when we walk or run. The meniscus also helps to keep the knee stable and movement smooth.
How do meniscus tear and injury occurs?
1) A meniscus can be torn fully or partially, commonly after a forceful twisting injury to the knee, especially in a weight bearing position. The meniscus injury seriousness is depends on how much is torn and the exact site of the tear.
Meniscus tear, strain and injury is a common sport injuries, especially rugby, soccer, martial arts, badminton, tennis, golf.
2) Meniscal tears may also occur without a sudden severe injury. In some cases a tear develops due to repeated small injuries to the cartilage or to degeneration (wear and tear) of the meniscal cartilage in older people. In severe injuries, other parts of the knee (eg ligament strain, muscle tear) may also be damaged in addition to a meniscal tear.
Meniscal cartilage does not heal fully when is torn because it does not have a good blood supply. A tear on the outer part of each meniscus has some blood vessels and may heal, but a larger tear or center/middle tear of menicus tend not to heal as has no direct blood supply.
What are the signs and symptoms of a meniscus tear?
The severity of symptoms of a meniscal injury depend on the type and position of the meniscal tear.
– Pain: Knee pain is often worse when you extending the leg, squatting or weight bearing position
– Tenderness along the knee joint line
– Swelling: Knee often swells within a day or two of the injury. If the tear is due to knee degeneration, knee may look slightly swollen for several months
– Restriction of range of motion in the knee joint: this can be due to the torn meniscal flap or the effusion.
– Locked, clicking, catching: A ‘locked’ feeling on the knee that cannot be straightened, eg if one has been sitting with bent knees. The knee can suddenly lock on twisting and then unlock with an audible click.
– Walking: may be difficulty
Our physiotherapist will be able to perform a few tests to determine whether there is a meniscal injury. However not all meniscus injuries are positive on testing and an MRI scan may be necessary to diagnose the injury.
Effective treatments that can help Meniscus Knee pain
The treatment of knee pain will entirely depends on the cause of knee problem. All conditions are different, and treatments may differ from each individual.
Treatment for meniscus problem may consists of:
– Physiotherapy: Your physiotherapist will understand about your knee pain and perform physical examinations. Your knee conditions will be diagnose and explain before implementing solutions to yourknee
– Manual therapy: Active and Passive Mobilisation or manipulation of knee joints, patella joint
– Massage Therapy: Hands on techniques such as soft tissue release, deep friction massage, myofascial release, trigger points release on knee surrounding muscles
– Pain Relief Therapy: Using pain relief treatment modalities such as Ultrasound , electrical stimulation, TENS, laser, heat therapy to heal and repair injured, inflammed, torn tissues or meniscus
– Shockwave Therapy: Advanced high energy pulses effective for chronic, persistent knee muscle tightness, trigger points to stimulate healing. Proven treatment for tendonitis, calcification/ bone spurs
– Exercise Therapy: Guided 1-1 specific joint movement therapy, muscle stretching, progressive strengthening hip/ knee, conditioning back to sports, functional training
– Education: Advice to improve posture, lifestyle modifications
Our unique treatment approach for knee pain
At heal360 Physioclinic, our physiotherapist and rehabilitation therapist experts has developed a proprietary signature program for the knee pain –PainRelief360™ Program
Our therapist will perform a thorough assessment and determine the potential cause of the knee problem, and will develop a management and best treatment program for your knee pain: relief pain, regain your knee movement and give you a renewed, stronger knee!
