“Being able to walk pain-free is a blessing. Being able to walk without showing the pain is a skill.” (Kylie McPherson)
A torn meniscus is one of the most common
knee injuries. Any activity that causes you to forcefully twist or rotate your
knee, especially when putting your full weight on it, can lead to a torn
meniscus. Each of your knees has two C-shaped pieces of cartilage that act like
a cushion between your shinbone and your thighbone (menisci). A torn meniscus
causes pain, swelling and stiffness. You also might feel a block to knee motion
and have trouble extending your knee fully.
For the past four years, a meniscus tear is
something I’m very familiar with. My wife has this in her right knee, which is
now bone on bone. She believes the popping noise she heard in her knee when she
was trimming trees in our backyard may have been the cause.
On a regular basis, pain shoots on the right
side of her body from her groin to her toes. Walking is painful and can be
scary (as she’s never certain when she might lose her balance). Bobbi is too
young for surgery (plus she’s heard this is a hard surgery to endure). Extra
weight can make this problem worse.
A non-surgical treatment that works for this
injury is given through the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation).
Meniscus tears of the knee can be painful and annoying. Not everyone
has to suffer. These 5 exercises can help you to better manage this injury:
1-Leg Band Kicks:
Stability on 1-leg is important for anyone with a meniscus injury. The band
kicks train balance and stability on 1-leg. This involves the co-contraction of
your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Begin with a resistance band loop around your
ankles. Stand on the injured leg. Your other leg performs repeated band
kicks to the front, side, and back without touching your foot down. It is
important to maintain an upright vertical trunk as you perform the kicks. As
your balance and stability improve, increase the speed of each kick.
Bridge + Hamstring Curl: This exercise strengthens your hamstring muscle on the
back of your thigh and knee. Some of the muscle fibers of the hamstrings
actually attach to your meniscus. Begin lying on your back with an exercise ball under your
lower legs. Perform a bridge by pushing your buttocks up from the floor.
Hold the bridge position and curl your feet towards your hips. Pause 2 seconds.
Maintain the bridge as you return your legs to the extended position. Finally,
lower your buttocks down to the floor. This completes one repetition.
Perform 8 to 10 repetitions for multiple sets each day.
Heel Slides:
The heel slide helps restore your knee bending which is important to sit
comfortably and climb stairs. Begin with your knee extended and a long towel,
belt, or stretch-out strap around your
foot. Next, gently slide your heel towards your hip until you feel a mild
stretch in your knee. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and perform 10
repetitions.
Quadriceps Isometric Set: This exercise minimizes quadriceps muscle loss. The
quadriceps muscle is important for everyday activities like standing up from a
chair and climbing steps. The quadriceps set also restores full knee
straightening. Normal walking requires a fully straight knee.
To perform the
quadriceps set, begin with the knee straight using a small towel roll under
your heel. Push the back of your knee down towards the floor while
simultaneously tightening the front of your thigh. Hold the contraction
for 10 seconds and perform 10 repetitions.
Step Up:
Difficulty climbing stairs is a common complaint for people with meniscus
injuries. It is important to retrain muscular control of stepping up and down
on the injured leg. by stepping with your injured leg up onto a 6 to 8-inch
step.
Flex your uninjured
leg and bear full weight on your injured leg. Pause 2 seconds at the top.
Return your uninjured leg to the floor followed by your injured leg. Perform 8
to 12 repetitions for multiple sets.
“Every setback is a setup for a comeback. God wants to bring you out
better than you were before.” (Spiritual Inspiration) [i]
[i] Adapted from:
· “Meniscus Tears: 5 Exercises to Help
You Manage” by BSR Physical Therapy
· “Meniscus Tears: Why You Should Not
Let Them Go Untreated” by Penn Medicine
· “Torn meniscus” by Mayo Clinic Staff
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| X-ray of a Meniscus Tear |
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