Running with a torn meniscus will only exacerbate the condition because the meniscus is knee cartilage, the substance necessary to absorb the shock of putting constant pressure on the knee. Meniscus cartilage also cushions various knee bones from grating and eroding each other. Severely reduced in its ability to stabilize joint movement, the knee also experiences painful disruptions in bending and reliability with bearing heavy weights.
Symptoms of a Torn Meniscus
Generally, when you suffer a torn meniscus, you may experience a popping or tearing sensation in the knee, followed by joint pain that may be moderate or severe. Some people are still able to run or walk, but it will hurt to do so and it may feel as is the affected knee is too weak to continue maintaining support of the body weight. Within a short period, a torn meniscus may stiffen and swell enough to prevent you from running. Only a thorough examination by a physician can ascertain the amount of damage done to the knee.
Treatment for Meniscus Injury
Depending on the size and location of the tear, a doctor may prescribe several treatment options. Small tears or tears that are in a location where blood supply is abundant tend to heal on their own. Ceasing from all running activities, applying ice for swelling and pain and resting the knee in an elevated position are the best treatments facilitating healing of a meniscus injury. After two or three weeks, a doctor may recommend a series of rehabilitative exercises such as leg extensions to strengthen the knee and get it back into the shape it was in prior to the damage occurring.
Consequences of Running with a Meniscus Tear
If you choose to continue running with an unhealed meniscus tear, you risk causing long-term or permanent damage to your knee. Only until your doctor tells you when it is safe to resume running should you return to your exercise program. If you exacerbate the injury by running without his permission, you could find yourself undergoing a knee operation that will take up to five months from which to recover. Meniscus tears are one of the more difficult joint injuries to fully correct for two reasons: They involve the knee joint, and the meniscus is avascular, meaning it does not have immediate access to a healthy supply of blood.
Meniscectomy
In chronic cases of meniscus injuries aggravated by running or exercising when the cartilage has not sufficiently healed, a procedure called a meniscectomy may be performed arthroscopically. Specialists attempting to minimize or eliminate pain, popping and weakness of the knee remove or trim irretrievably damaged cartilage from the rest of the healthy meniscus cartilage. Generally, many patients undergoing this operation recover and are able to return to normal if slightly reduced activities, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. However, it is much easier to follow doctor's orders and refrain from running until the tear is fully healed.
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