No one wants to hear and feel that popping pain in the knee caused by a torn meniscus, but approximately 1 million of you good people in the US tear your meniscus - every year!
A meniscus injury can range between anything from a small strain to a full tear, so how does one know the difference?
While an X-ray or MRI will give you a more definitive answer, we're going to give you a few self tests you can perform to give you a better idea before making the trip to the emergency room..
WHAT IS THE MENISCUS?
You have two menisci per knee. The lateral meniscus is on the outside of the knee while the medial meniscus is on the inside of the knee.
Think of them as rubbery pillows made of cartilage that are there to absorb shock and help stabilize the knee joint.
WHAT CAUSES A MENISCUS TEAR?
A meniscus tear, sprain, or strain is usually caused by activities that involve aggressive twisting and pivoting which is why they’re more common among athletes — especially those who participate in contact sports like American football, or activities that involve pivoting, like soccer, tennis, and basketball.
Athletes are most at risk of these types of knee injuries.
MENISCUS TEAR SYMPTOMS
If you’ve torn your meniscus, it’ll likely cause enough pain that your face will look like this and you’ll have forgotten all about Alan.
Generally speaking, the more intense your symptoms, the more likely your knee injury is a tear and not a sprain. You might feel and hear a pop when you tear your meniscus. That’s a fairly sure sign you’ve torn something, as is the feeling of your knee collapsing when you put weight on it. However, it can take 24 hours or more for pain and swelling to begin if the tear is small. Other symptoms of a torn meniscus are:
- Pain in one or both sides of the knee, especially when twisting or rotating.
- Sensation of the knee catching or locking up.
- Swelling.
- Stiffness.
- Reduced range of motion in the knee.
- Weakness/instability in the knee during activity.
CAN YOU WALK WITH A TORN MENISCUS?
Maybe. Some people find they can walk around with a torn meniscus while others find that the tear locks out their knee or won’t support their weight and renders them unable to walk without assistance.
The severity and location of the tear determines how much you’re going to feel this.
WILL A MENISCUS TEAR HEAL ON ITS OWN WITHOUT SURGERY?
In the case of a minor injury or tear, your meniscus may heal on its own with rest, time, and rehabilitative exercises like those found in the MoveU Knee, Ankle & Foot program. However, a meniscus tear doesn’t need to "heal" for one to be pain-free!
With proper alignment and strength and mobility to support and stabilize the joint, you can live pain-free even with a torn meniscus. There are significant risks to surgery, including the potential for accelerating joint osteoarthritis after removing the torn part of the meniscus. We want to help you avoid these kinds of outcomes!
5 MENISCUS TEAR TESTS YOU CAN DO FROM HOME
If you suspect you have a meniscus injury, you’re going to want to perform some or all these tests (in the event you get a positive test, be sure to talk to a medical professional to confirm).
- LACK OF FULL EXTENSION TEST: See if you can straighten your leg fully. If you can’t or if there’s pain, you could have a meniscus injury like a tear. Easy peasy.
- JOINT LINE TENDERNESS TEST: To do this test, your knee must be in a flexed (90 degrees) position. You will want to palpate (apply gentle pressure) with your fingers along the joint line where your pain is located as your tibia is rotated each direction (go easy here).
- MCMURRAY’S TEST: To do this test, lie down on your back with your knee bent. Ask a friend to internally rotate your foot and tibia as they straighten the leg and then externally rotate your foot and tibia as they flex your knee. If you feel pain or your knee catches, this could be a sign you have a meniscus injury.
- APLEY’S COMPRESSION TEST: This test is not highly accurate on its own, so it’s important to pair it with the others listed here. To do this test, lie down on your stomach and bend the knee to 90 degrees. Have a friend gently push down through your foot and tibia (shin) and rotate your lower leg in (checks your lateral meniscus) and then out (checks your medial meniscus). Any pain would be a positive test.
- THESSALY OR DISCO TEST: Test your injured side first to get the mechanics of this down. Once you’re feeling comfortable with how the movement should go, stand on the injured leg with a 5 degree bend in the knee. 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.
HOW TO RECOVER FROM A MENISCUS INJURY
Our mission at MoveU is to provide the tools you need to manage and rehab meniscus tears without surgery.
Non-surgical treatments for meniscal injuries have been well documented, especially for degenerative tears. Exercise has been shown to improve knee function and reduce joint pain and that’s why we created our Knee, Ankle & Foot program.
Keep in mind that very often, issues going on in the knee are influenced by issues up the chain in the hip joint or down the chain at the foot and ankle.
I have had 7 knee operations (tendinitis and cartilage repairs) and 2 inguinal hernia repairs. I look back now and wonder how much of this could have been addressed without surgery. Lots of Internet searches had allowed me to understand the importance of alignment but then I came across MoveU. Everything made sense and it wasn't just my leg that needed to be in alignment. I have just completed day 108 and have found the MoveU program a fascinating insight into how the body should be aligned. I've seen a massive improvement in my alignment and the knee pain has gone.
-Darren, MoveU Member
MENISCUS TRACTION EXERCISE
Knee Gapping is a technique that can increase fluid circulation and help restore some movement in your knee while temporarily taking pressure off the meniscus.
- Take a kneeling position on a soft surface like a bed or massage table.
- Place a tightly wrapped towel behind your knees and pull it forward (away from your body), creating a good amount of tension.
- Shift your weight straight back and then forth or shift back and hold for 10-20 seconds. Either way, take it at a comfortable pace and range of motion.
You can also have someone else put your knee through this mobilization while you’re lying on your back.
HOW SOON CAN I START EXERCISING AGAIN AFTER A MENISCUS TEAR?
Again, this depends on the severity of your injury. Once you feel ready for movement, pay close attention to how your knee tracks in all movements, including squats, lunges, and walking. Focus on stabilizing the knee joint by strengthening all the muscles around your knee as well as your hips and glutes area.
Both our Knee, Ankle & Foot and Hips & Glutes programs help you learn to do this and start very gently, allowing you to customize and work your way progressively through increasing degrees of challenge to help you get stronger.
Looking for a program with some structure to get you back on your feet and restore function to your knee? Check out the MoveU Membership.
Our programs start gently and with one membership you have access to hundreds of videos, a supportive MoveU community and coaches who are ready to help you move better so you can live better.
