Tendonitis and Bursitis Archives

Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy?

About 10 years ago, I tore my meniscus during track practice. I underwent six months of physical therapy and things seemed to improve. I continued to run and do all of the other activities I enjoyed. In the last few years, I've been having more consistent pain in my knee. I finally went to my doctor, he did an MRI, and determined that I had a meniscal tear. He gave me the options of surgery and physical therapy. I chose therapy but am concerned about the long-term effects. Would it be better to have surgery in order to avoid more problems down the road? Can physical therapy help to actually heal the tear?

Follow Ups:

• Re: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? Fawn [1777.1411] 21:43:08 10/14/04 (0)
• Re: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? (Archive.) Walt Stoll [9.8] 07:31:27 10/08/04 (0)
• Re: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? Vince F [173.9] 12:29:38 10/07/04 (0)
• Re: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? steve [135.4] 12:08:37 10/07/04 (0)

In Reply to: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? posted by Tanya Rose [147.218] on October 07, 2004 at 11:31:28:

Tanya,

Always avoid surgery if possible..The body cab and does heal itself..

Silver Fox!

In Reply to: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? posted by Tanya Rose [147.218] on October 07, 2004 at 11:31:28:

if physical therapy would fix it, I would opt for that. Before surgery, I would try to find. Spark/Sound therapy, where they use an electric shock, from a spark plug like device. A friend had a tear in a tendon in his arm and one treatment cured it. they told him basketball teams were geting the machines. Maybe a sports injury place would have it.

In Reply to: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? posted by Tanya Rose [147.218] on October 07, 2004 at 11:31:28:

Hi, Tanya.

Meniscus tears are one of the few things that never heal. All one can do is limit the damage to the joint surfaces, over years, that happens BECAUSE of the torn area not protecting the bony surfaces. PT is designed to strengthen the supporting muscles to the joint and thus reduce that damage over time.

In my opinion, you should have been told (way back then) to try to ration weight bearing activity so as to prevent what you are now experiencing. Surgical removal of the torn meniscus now will only reduce your symptoms, hopefully, and the damage to the joint surfaces will continue to deteriorate.

Your only options, now, are to start using swimming (non weight-bearing exercise) as your exercise and hope to ameliorate the symptoms by using glucosamine sulphate 750 milligrams twice a day and omega 3s, at least 2000 milligrams twice a day, and see how much healing IS possible.

At least now, belatedly, try to understand that the weight-bearing steps you will use for the rest of your life are limited and you must choose how you will use them.

Let us know how you do.

Walt

In Reply to: Meniscus tear-surgery or physical therapy? posted by Tanya Rose [147.218] on October 07, 2004 at 11:31:28:

The only way to reduce pain is to have the surgery. The body doesn't heal itself from menicus tears. I had two pretty serve ones and attempted what you dide along with steriods and had some relief of pain but it came back. The longer you wait to longer you will have pain and possibly the worst you could make the tear. The body doesn't heal cartidagle. I'm 16 and my menicus tears never healed and supposedly were the best healers. Ha, ha. Yeah right. Good luck.