The meniscus can be torn during any sporting activity. You don’t have to be an athlete to tear your meniscus, however. Putting too much pressure on your knee, or making any sudden movement (squatting, getting up too quickly, etc) can easily result in a meniscus tear. At Farmingdale PT East, our physical therapists help patients deal with meniscus tears and properly rehabilitate their knee.
Sports such as football, basketball, and tennis put athletes at a higher risk for meniscus tears. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and difficulty moving your knee. A meniscus tear can be determined by having an MRI on your knee. While surgery isn’t always needed for tears depending on the severity, the pain and swelling in your knee shouldn’t be left untreated. A meniscus tear should always be treated with ice and plenty of rest. You should also be sure to elevate and compress the knee in a bandage to help reduce the swelling.
For a meniscus tear, rehabilitation includes physical therapy and home exercises. A physical therapist will have you do exercises to help you regain strength and flexibility in your knee. They should only be done if the pain in your knee is minimal and not severe. Exercises include working on your thigh, calf, and leg muscles. These exercises include quad sets and hamstring curls to help you regain mobility in your knee. You should only do exercises advised by your doctor or physical therapist to prevent any further damage done to your knee.
Getting the right physical therapy is important for maintaining your meniscus tear. After fully recovering from your tear, you shouldn’t return to your daily activity so hastily as you must give yourself time to recover from your tear. With the proper treatment from physical therapists at Farmingdale PT East, you can recover from your meniscus tear in no time. Contact usif you have any questions, concerns, or need to make an appointment.