Management and treatment for Meniscus Injury.

Meniscus is a very common injury that often affects the athletes while they are indulging in a sport. The injury is caused by sudden movements like turning to catch a ball which can damage the cartilage. People who have arthritis are more likely to have Meniscus injury. 

What is Meniscus?

Meniscus is two pieces of rubber like tough cartilage that sit on both the knees in the shape of a ‘C’. The cartilage works as a shock absorber between your thigh bone and shinbone acting as a cushion for the knee joints. The correct working of Meniscus allows a swift and full range of motion for the knees from 0 degrees of movement like a straight leg to 135 degrees of movement. 

What is a Meniscus tear?

The cartilage in your knee starts to wear down and becomes weak as you get older. Due to this the cartilage becomes thin and can easily experience tears. Arthritis which is a condition that causes the breakdown of cartilage can also result in Meniscus injury that can be treated at an Ortho hospital in India. 

What are the causes of Meniscus tear?

Usually, people experience Meniscus tear due to a sudden movement of the knees; when the foot stays still on the ground but the knee is rotated. It often happens while playing sports and athletes are usually the one affected by a Meniscus injury. 

Age or the condition of arthritis can also cause the cartilage to break down, resulting in a thinner cartilage that can lead to Meniscus injury even if you had the slightest uneven movement. In some cases, degeneration from arthritis can also lead to a tear without an injury. 

Symptoms of a torn Meniscus

People who experience a Meniscus tear feel a sensation of something popping at the time of the injury. Some other symptoms for Meniscus tear include:

• Feeling of pain, stiffness of swollen knee
• Feeling the knee might give out at any moment. 
• inability to bend or straighten your legs. 

Management of Meniscus Injury

Can Meniscus Tears be treated at home?

The intensity of the meniscus tear determines whether it needs surgery or can it be treated with self-care at home. The best Ortho doctor in India may prescribe you with some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAI) medication in order to help relieve the pain and decrease swelling.

During the days of your injury, it is also suggested that you follow the RICE protocol. The RICE protocol stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. 

Rest: Try not to put any weight on the injury as much as possible.

Ice: Keep an icepack on your knee several times a day for about 20 minutes. 

Compression: In order to reduce compression, use a compression bandage to wrap your knee. 

Elevation: To reduce the swelling, rest with your legs raised higher than your heart.

Is it necessary to get knee surgery for a torn meniscus from an Ortho hospital in India?

In some cases, the meniscus tear does not heal itself. If NSAIDs, RICE and physical therapy do not improve the condition of the injury, you might be suggested to get arthroscopic surgery by the best Ortho doctor in India.  

Prevention for knee injury

An accidental injury can be hard to prevent, but the risk of a torn meniscus can be reduced by:

• Strengthening the muscles that would stabilise and support your knee
• If you are aware that your knee is weak or unstable, wear a knee brace. 
• Slowly increase the intensity of the workout. 
• Wear shoes especially designed for athletes while doing any sports. 

Meniscus injury can be very discomforting and disrupt the smooth motion of the knee. Therefore, it is essential to seek the right approach for it. If the injury is too intense, consulting an Ortho hospital in India is a must. However, if the injury is not major and just a slight meniscus tear, then you can follow the management of the injury to treat it well.