What is Meniscus & meniscal injury?

The meniscus is the supporting cartilage in the knee. There are two menisci lateral and medial menisci. The lateral meniscus is more mobile and the medial is rigid that’s why the medial meniscus tear is about three times that of the lateral meniscus. The main function of the meniscus in the knee joint is shock absorption, load sharing, and knee joint stability. Twisting or jumping or quick changes in direction, especially in sports can cause meniscal injury. The tear may be degenerative as in the older population. The tear may also occur in association with arthritis.

Signs and symptoms:

• pain at the medial or lateral side of the knee,
• tenderness,
• While bending the knee patient feels pain in the posterior of the knee,
• there is the locking of the knee,
• a clicking sound, and
• swelling.

Not all meniscus tear requires surgery, and since the peripheral meniscus tear heals itself but still the healing is not similar to any other healing mechanism because healing of the meniscus leaves fibrocartilage scar, which will cause a reduced joint range of motion and sometimes pain and cause a reduction in your functional ability. It is possible to return to full or near-full function where you are no longer restricted in your activities by the injury.

Elite Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre has a team of quality physiotherapists who with the help of their manual techniques and the latest machines will surely take you out of your pain and disability.

Physiotherapy Treatment of meniscal injury includes:

Treatment at our physiotherapy clinic starts with the evaluation of your condition and making a treatment plan which is focused on reducing stress on the knee joint, managing swelling, improving mobility, regaining strength, and improving stability in the lower body.

• Our physiotherapy clinic is equipped with world-class latest technology machines which are highly effective in meniscal injury fast recovery such as-
  • Extracorporeal shock wave (ESW),
  • High-intensity class 4 laser,
  • super inductive system (SIS),
  • Cryo-compression,
  • Cryo-air,
  • Targeted Radiofrequency (TR therapy),
  • Combo machine, and
  • Also, wireless professionals, etc.
• At our physiotherapy clinic, we use a Cryo-air machine for cryotherapy, this will cause vasoconstriction and cause swelling reduction as well as pain relief.
• There are some early rehab exercises we give you that help you with your meniscal tear such as:
  • Knee Flexion Slides with Towel Wedge,
  • Knee Extension Stretch with Strap and Towel Roll,
  • Long sitting quad set with Towel Roll,
  • Side-lying Hip Abduction,
  • TRX Squat with Lean Back,
  • Single-Leg Y Balance with Cones,
  • Also, Bench Bridge 2 Legs – 90-degree bent.
• Kinesio taping.
• In addition, Joint mobilization.
• Also, Balance and proprioception exercises.
• Once the patient is relieved from pain and achieves muscle strength then our sports physiotherapist will start Agility and Sports specific training.