8 Tips to Help a Meniscus Tear Heal Faster

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In this episode, Farnham's leading over-50's physiotherapist, Will Harlow, reveals 8 simple tips to help a meniscus tear or a meniscus injury to heal faster. These tips are perfect for anyone with a meniscus tear who is hoping to get back to their active life as soon as possible.

[mtm]

I had a terrible meniscus tear 13 years ago. Surgery was recommended and scheduled immediately. Before the surgery I talked to an uncle of my friend who was an orthopedic doctor. He said before doing surgery, use a neoprene sleeve over the knee as often as I can. The neoprene provides warmth so blood flow can help the meniscus repair itself over time. It worked perfectly. Never had the surgery and my knee heeled itself over time. The neoprene sleeve provided stability and warmth for blood flow. I wore it for years when I was walking a lot, but it's still a habit and I wear it time to time if I'm doing heavy activity. I'm glad I did not have the surgery and it's now 13 yrs later.

[llusory_World]

💖 Summary -
4:17 & 12:55
1) Avoid Twisting. It delays healing.
2) Don't move things using foot.
3) 7:11 sleep with pillows under your knees. Also, avoid sleeping on sides to avoid wt of one knee over the other.
4) Continue walking if pain is bearable, thereby keeping the muscles strong and good blood flow maintained to you he knee.
5) 9:20 Don't let knee get locked. Avoid keeping knee in same position ie non moving, for long.
6) Strengthen quadriceps - with straight leg raising and Bridge exercises, extending legs while sitting, sit and stand.
7) 12:15 Maintain flexibility of muscles..of thighs and calf
8) Use heat, after the swelling has got reduced. It removes stiffness.

[kthomas]

I had surgery for medial torn meniscus, 4 years ago and felt great until silly me decided to do some deep squats with a weight a few weeks ago. Now I am sitting here watching your videos with my leg up in “locked knee” position… with a heavy heat pack on it wondering why it’s feeling worse. 🤦🏼‍♀️
Thank you for teaching me how to actual help my knee, not make it worse. I only wish I knew all this a few years ago. 🥺

[Paulowe]

I tore my Meniscus 8 years. Last year I had an MRI and it confirmed I have 3 tears on the knee.
My feet are flat which didn't help. Previously every once in a while, the knee would lock.
I went to see a Physio and I received exercises to help strengthen the Meniscus.
What I have found quite helpful for me is inversion therapy where I raise my legs and place them on the wall approx. 20 - 30 mins where the blood will flow down from the feet into the legs

[williammiller-fscm]

I'll be 70 this year. I'm fairly active. I lift weights, bike and walk for fitness. I tore my meniscus carrying (100+ lbs) logs over uneven ground. I didn't realize the injury until the following day. Now I'm going to be relatively inactive for the next 3-12 months, if I can believe this video. Pain can destroy the motivation to exercise. This video gives great advice, but an ounce of prevention is worth the lb of cure. Who did I think I was? Superman?

[ioanasilviag]

Thank you for saying it does heal. Most people say it doesn’t heal at all

[febauk]

I had a meniscus tear last month. Apparently since it was a horizontal tear, surgery was ruled out. Though I am grateful that I could walk through all of it from the beginning of the injury, the limping is so embarrassing and painful. To top it all up, the constant fear of falling makes it worse...! Just praying to walk normally again. It seems like a really long wait!!!

[martingrady]

Meniscus tears give me the creeps, the pain is 2 x ops on my right knee the 1st at 18 years old and both football related. Now at 54 for I have a tear in my left knee not so bad with the locking up and no super excruciating pain, so this video has been extremely helpful. Thank you!

[debrabellingham]

Wow, great advice. All my doctor said was to “rest” for 3 weeks - no explanation of what I should and shouldn’t do. He also said a torn meniscus won’t ever heal, and focused on the possibility of cortisone shots and surgery in the future. He was not helpful, but your videos are very helpful. Thank you.

[angelacollinge]

Thank you for your help explaining to me why I have such terrible pain when I try to bend my knee. I was my husband’s main carer and for the last two years of his life (he died 8 months ago) I had to do everything for him which included a lot of lifting throughout the day. I always lifted him on my right side and yes I probably placed my foot then twisted my knee to get him up, you do what you have to at the time. The pain has been there for over 12 months and is getting worse, so unfortunately I can’t climb the stairs properly but continue to walk my dog daily, I’m in my early 70’s and want to get back to “a normal life” so thanks again for your advice.

[oscarbarrera]

Just tore my meniscus, this video is extremely helpful. Thank you

[rodrigoparamomunoz]

I just wanted tonsay a big thank you for this. I applied the pillow under the knee with the hot bag on it and made my life happy. I woke up without that "start up" pain, no soreness un my knee for twisting it while asleep. Man I can see a better path to recovery thanks to this simple tip. Thank you very much.

[alexgraf]

Thank you! This is exactly what I was intuitively doing when I torn my meniscus and refused the surgery healing it with exercises. It is very important to generate and flush joint fluid to the injured place by not fixing the knee but making this the knee bend/unbend as much as you can. I did (and still do) humpty dumpty dangling feet sitting on the table every day.

[MelissaDuffySacredBreath]

One thing I reflect on often is that in healthcare practitioners and patients too often compartmentalize and focus solely on just one part of our body rather than remember that we are a unified whole and maybe our knee problem is related to our back or other areas in our body that are injured or weak. One change in our body affects other parts of our body.

I have had lower back arthritis and reduced walking to about 4 miles per week...Last Fall I fell three times in short succession, severely spraining my left ankle in Sept just from getting up from sitting on my bed because my left leg was numb and collapsed. By going to PT this problem resolved. In the process of this though my RIGHT ankle started to hurt just as my left ankle healed! Then four months after I sprained my left ankle my right knee began to hurt. Never had knee problems before! The therapist wouldn't touch my right ankle or knee until I got another 'referral' from a doctor.
This time in therapy they focused on my right knee which only got worse in the 2 1/2 months of physio. An X-ray had said "normal knee.' (Three months later an MRI showed my knee to have an oblique torn medial and lateral meniscus that involves the inner, middle and peripheral thirds along with tricompartmental osteoarthriitis, moderate articular cartilage loss and knee joint effusion!) So, note, if you are hurting more during phsio and it is before knee surgery I highly suggest you stop therapy and get an MRI to see if you have a meniscus tear. An X-ray won't show it!


Before I got the MRI during Physio I kept doing what the PT's told me to do, about 45 min of exercises at home daily and about 1 hour at therapy. My knee pain kept getting worse. I continued to mention to the therapist and aides that certain exercises were making things worse and that I was concerned. They told me to not be fearful or apprehensive and just work through the discomfort. One day the aide pushed on my kneecap and poked my quad tendons saying she didn't know why my knee wouldn't fully extend and that I had the tightest quads she'd ever seen. She then added two more exercises: 15 straight leg raises and 15 cross my body leg raises. Well, this was the 'straw that broke the camel's back...or to be exact, the 'overdo' that sent my knee and me to the emergency room! The next morning after doing my PT exercises I could only walk 1/16th of a mile before the inside of my knee joint gave me a big burst of pain and I literally couldn't bear any weight on it without severe pain. It was supremely painful to walk back to my car even using my walking sticks. My knee had 100% gotten worse and worse with PT. Thank goodness I got the MRI that diagnosed what was going on. Since then I haven't gone back to physio, but am gently doing some of the exercises that didn't worsen my symptoms. I tried also going to two gyms to do use the exercise bikes but got that 'burst of pain' again so backed off after just a couple of minutes. I know that being sedentary is NOT the solution so I am going to try working with another physio group and start swimming.

One question I have: My calf muscle has recently grown super tight like almost cramping and my ankle tendon has been also swelling and hurting along with my knee. It was helpful to understand that the calf is connected with the knee. I have been doing some stretches of my calf. Why though is my Achilles tendon impacted by my knee?

Also, what are your thoughts on cortisone shots? My doc wants to do this but they don't really heal anything. I'm 65 and very 'natural healing' oriented. What percentage of the time have you seen cortisone shots work for oblique meniscus tears? Thanks for any infor you can share!

[oceanreefer]

My husband has a meniscus tear and I will be getting him to watch this. Thanks Will, I have watched many of your videos and they are professional and easy to follow explanations and exercises. Keep up the fantastic work!

[remarkable]

Wow! Uou are right again! You are goving priceless advice to those who've experience meniscus tears. Im recovering from surgery from a meniscus tear. Its been horrible before the surgery. To anyone with a tear, he's giving great advice. Everyone is different so please consult your doctor as well. If your doctor is giving bad advice, please see another doctor and seek other help. ❤

[JR]

Pain wakes me at night, my knee does not like my leg being straight or twisting Diagnosed with MCL tear No MRI, only ultrasound It has been six months so I believe meniscus is damaged too My exercise program is all wrong ! I have been making things worse. Thank you for this 💕 Very informative

[kencastellanos]

I have a tear meniscus and I been trying to walk now but I still feel a pain especially by the calf. I hope this week my therapist can let me know what to do with this pain. I need to get back to work it’s been a month now . This video is helpful I’m happy I saw it!

[susanmauer]

Thanks for the tips on my meniscus tear . I injured my knee over 1 year ago. My knee is so much better knowing the strengthening excercises that you mentioned in your video has really helped me.

[johnk.atchley]

I left a very long comment on your video about exercises to avoid so won't repeat it here, but hope it might help others who watch this one and your others. Here, you are 100% right about sleep positions. I have some meniscus tears and fraying in my right knee (am 82, have played golf over 60 years). I can sleep on my right side without the pillow as my legs are separated. I get up every two hours at night to do what we do at 82, have no problem falling back asleep, and always used to switch to my left side coming back to bed. But now I find exactly what you say, the right leg begins to hurt and after maybe 20 minutes I can't stand it and have to roll over on to my right side again. Can sleep on my back but that can induce some snoring, so on the side is best.