Torn Meniscus - Physio etc

[nathanm]

I've been putting up with suspected torn meniscus in both my knee's for around 6 years now. Whilst it doesn't really impact my riding it does mean I can't play/train for football and interfers with my work.

I'm trying to get back into coaching but after a training session Thursday on a hard surface my left knee is again swollen, painful and highly restrictive when bending and right knee has some pain.

At 36 it's probably not worthwhile getting surgery, particularly as a clean out will only give me minimal relief but excelerate degeneration. However besides weight loss, which I'm working on, has anyone else had success with Physio or other types of treatment.

I do take Glucosamine which has helped immensely but of course it seems if I skip it for a few weeks It flairs back up.

 

[itsajoke]

I feel your pain.

My experience:

I had an arthroscopic procedure done to both knees on Melbourne Cup day 2010 (fasting from 9pm the night before, and I'm sitting in the reception area when pizza delivery man turns up with a stack of pizzas for a Cup function at the surgery: not happy!). Anyway, just over two years later and I'm starting to see improvement.

I did some exercises initially to get the muscles working again. That allowed me to walk properly and less gingerly compared to post-op condition. From there I slackened off because I was getting by as I was. The problem is I feel that I am in a worse condition now than I was pre-surgery. So off to physio I go again. The program I have is good for leg strength, which in turn gets the muscles to all do their job correctly. The physio got me to tape my knee caps inwards and this has been a revelation. There was some grinding going on so now the patella tracks properly and the grinding is happening a lot less. Before I could only squat to a 45 degree angle, now I am getting past ninety. I doubt I'll ever be able to squat onto my haunches again, but that is what you get with knee surgery.

About two weeks after I started the physio I also started glucosomine. That would have to have a strong bearing on my improvement but the only way to check is to stop taking it and I am not prepared to try that!

Try physio and good luck with it all.

 

[indica]

At 36 it's probably not worthwhile getting surgery, particularly as a clean out will only give me minimal relief but excelerate degeneration. H.

Why do you say it will accelerate degeneration?
My knee would no bend past 45, but with surgery I have full movement back, have crashed on it several times and hit decent jumps on the DH bike with no issues.
I am 39 this year.

 

[Justforfun]

I put up with a torn meniscus for about 5 years, got to the point where it was locking up on me. Had an arthroscope to clean it out, best thing I ever did. That was about 6 years ago now have not had a problem since, don't wait just get it done and make sure you do the rehab after to get all the muscles switched back or that is where you can have problems.

 

[The Duckmeister]

I had a 'scope done 10 years ago (at the age of 26) to clean up a torn meniscus, among other things, having put up with increasingly severe "Rice Bubble Syndrome" (knee going snap, crackle & pop with every movement :tongue: ) for three years beforehand. I will warn you that complete recovery is a very long process, although regaining good mobility doesn't take all that long. It took me over a year before it could handle the impact from running on anything other than grass; even running across a road hurt quite badly. Now I just don't run 'cos my legs are so wobbly from not doing it for years. For several years afterwards I couldn't quite get my knee into full bend, but it wasn't too great an issue because it wasn't all that often I'd have to go into a full squat, but it would be a bit of a niggle scrambling around the boat when out sailing. The issue wasn't (at least it didn't feel to be) in muscle tone/flexibility/whatever, but in the joint itself; it just didn't want to go to full bend. Ten years on all the niggles have been ironed out and I'm riding far more than I could before having the job done, so it's definitely worth giving it a shot if other options are not solving anything.