A meniscus sprain can still be painful and bring about swelling and stiffness. However, a strain won't limit the range of motion as much as a tear and doesn't commonly result in the knee catching or locking.
The main sign of a torn or strained meniscus is knee pain, that may be accompanied by a feeling of stiffness, swelling and trouble walking or bending the leg. Call your doctor if you have symptoms of a torn meniscus, or if your knee pain inhibits your ability to walk without pain.
Ligament tears like the ACL tear are more often injuries suffered during sports. Meniscal injuries are more often a series of tiny tears that occur more gradually over time. Swelling and a sense of instability are also important clues. Swelling is almost always present after an ACL tear.
Other meniscus tear symptoms include: Feeling like your knee might give out beneath you. Having knee pain or stiffness or a swollen knee. Being unable to fully bend or straighten your leg.
Self-management. Avoiding twisting activities may decrease the symptoms from a torn meniscus. Additionally, one should do quadriceps setting exercises with the knee straight or mini-squats, bending only to 15 degrees, to prevent giving way and keep the quadriceps muscle from atrophying.
In an area with better blood flow, it may take 4 to 6 weeks to heal. Adequate rest is a key factor for meniscus healing, and it also mitigates further injury. After the initial recovery period, physical therapy may be necessary to build up supporting knee muscles that have atrophied.
Common extra-articular pathologies that can mimic lateral meniscal tears include iliotibial band syndrome, proximal tibiofibular joint instability, snapping biceps femoris or popliteus tendons, and peroneal nerve compression syndrome or neuritis.
Normally, braces are used to stabilize a joint. Since menisci are not crucial for knee stability, you might not need a brace to help your injury heal. However, if there is damage to the surrounding ligaments as well, a brace may be necessary because ligaments are important for joint stability.
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.
MCL tears commonly cause knee pain and tenderness along the inner side of the knee. Meniscus tears may produce a popping sensation, locking or catching of the knee, and difficulty straightening the leg.
Injury or damage to the meniscus can result from abruptly twisting or rotating the knee; strain during squatting, bending or lifting heavy objects; and hard impacts from a tackle or other sports activity. Injuries can range from a meniscus strain to a partial or full meniscus tear.
There are 7 major causes that prevent your knee from straightening. These include meniscus tears, quadriceps tendon injury, patellar tendon injury, ACL injury, acute swelling, osteoarthritis, patellar dislocation, and muscle imbalance.
A popping sensation. Swelling or stiffness. Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee. Difficulty straightening your knee fully.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen can help to reduce inflammation and pain caused by a meniscus tear. Acetaminophen can also help to manage pain but does not reduce inflammation. Your doctor discusses over-the-counter or prescription options with you.
Rotate your upper body as far as you can to the left and then also to the right. Perform this 3 times. Now bend your knee a little deeper (to 20 degrees) and perform the three rotations again. Pain or a sense of locking/catching with this motion could indicate a potential meniscus injury.
In case of a minor injury or tear, your meniscus can heal on its own. All it needs is some rest and time. However, bigger or more severe injuries are less likely to heal without a medical prognosis. Your meniscus is a crucial part of the body, albeit it has a limited blood supply.
Will Walking on a Torn Meniscus Make It Worse? In cases with acute tears, you may be able to walk around with only slight discomfort or minimal pain. However, if you're noticing increased pain or have a severe tear, you should avoid walking on it until some pain starts to dissipate.
Introducing mesenchymal stem cells into torn cartilage may stimulate the patient's own cells' regenerative properties, helping to repair injury, relieve pain, and promote healthy new cell growth. Don't allow a torn meniscus to degenerate your knee stability and range of movement or develop into osteoarthritis.
Too much cold will keep your injury in the same state - slowing down the healing process. This can sometimes make chronic injuries linger even longer. Heat (Circulation Boost) should be used when you suffer from a chronic, tight or stiff meniscus injury and after you reduce swelling, pain and inflammation with cold.
There is often sharp pain when you twist or squat. Symptoms may go away but can come back from overuse or when you do activities that involve twisting. The pain may come and go over a period of years if the tear isn't treated. Larger tears usually cause more pain and immediate swelling and stiffness.