Tears to the meniscus -- the thick, shock absorbing cartilage of the knee -- prove painful and limit activity. Some tears in the more vascular area of the meniscus heal without surgery. To promote healing and prevent further injury, doctors prescribe physical therapy, an effective way to regain strength and flexibility and reduce pain during recovery from a knee injury.
Regain Strength
Physical therapists implement exercises like straight leg raises, quad sets and squats to strengthen the muscle groups surrounding the knee joint. Notice that little focus gets applied to the tear itself, but rather to overall joint integrity. Strong calves, hamstrings and quadriceps support and protect the knee joint from outside forces, allowing healing and preventing further injury.
Staying Flexible
After an injury, pain and swelling limit range of motion. This leads to loss of flexibility in the surrounding tissues, irregular gait and loss of function. To help a patient regain range of motion, a therapist likely uses exercises like heel slides, gentle cycling on a stationary bike and stretching on a slant board. Flexibility remains crucial to regaining normal functions.
Managing Pain
Physical therapy offers the benefit of having a therapist manage pain and inflammation through therapeutic modalities following a meniscal tear. Ice, ultrasound, varied forms of compression and other modalities decrease swelling and inflammation that cause pain after a meniscus tear, allowing a patient to advance through exercises with less discomfort.
Effective in Treatment, Effective in Prevention
Physical therapy for meniscal tears remains a proven method of nonsurgical treatment. A skilled physical therapy team helps you recover from a meniscus tear, while helping correct any imbalances that contributed to the initial injury. This means a return to activity with renewed balance and strength to prevent future injury.
