Meniscus injuries are common knee injuries that can occur due to sudden twists, pivots, or degenerative, age-related changes of the knee joint. These injuries can cause pain, swelling, limited mobility, and difficulties in performing daily activities. While surgical intervention continues to be a common option for individuals with meniscus tears, physiotherapy plays a crucial role in the treatment and rehabilitation of meniscus injuries whether you choose to undergo surgery or conservative treatment. A Cochrane review in 2022 by O’Connor et. al found that “Arthroscopic surgery provides little or no clinically important benefit in pain or function, probably does not provide clinically important benefits in knee-specific quality of life and may not improve treatment success compared with a placebo procedure.” Whether you are about to have surgery, or you are hoping to avoid surgery altogether, physiotherapy and exercise physiology can be helpful treatment options for individuals who do not wish to undergo surgery and can help you to recover and regain optimal function of your knee again.
The menisci are C-shaped fibrocartilaginous structures located between the thigh bone(femur) and the shinbone(tibia) in the knee joint. They act as shock absorbers, providing stability and cushioning to the joint. Meniscus injuries can occur because of trauma, such as a sudden twist or direct impact, or due to degenerative changes that occur over time. Meniscus injuries can lead to pain, swelling, clicking, or popping sensations, difficulty bending or straightening the knee and the sensation of instability in the joint.
The goal of physiotherapy is to provide an individualised, evidence-based treatment plan that is specific to your goals. Sessions will aim to provide pain relief, restore range of motion, strengthen your knee, and prevent future aggravations of your symptoms, allowing you to return to the activities most important to you!
Physiotherapy can help you manage your injury in the following ways:
- Comprehensive Assessment: A skilled physiotherapist will conduct a thorough assessment to determine the extent and nature of your meniscus injury. This evaluation helps in creating an individualized treatment plan tailored to the patient’s specific needs.
- Pain Management: Meniscus injuries often cause pain and discomfort. Physiotherapists employ various techniques, such as manual therapy to alleviate your pain, reduce inflammation, and improve overall comfort.
- Exercise Prescription: Physiotherapists & exercise physiologists design specific exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint. These exercises aim to improve joint stability, enhance flexibility, and restore normal movement patterns. Gradually increasing the intensity and complexity of the exercises helps improve the strength and tolerance of your knee to increased loads.
- Meaningful Rehabilitation: Physiotherapists focus on helping individuals regain mobility and return to their regular activities. They guide patients through movements and exercises that simulate real-life activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, or sports-specific movements, to return to activities that are meaningful to you.
- Education and Self-Management: Physiotherapists educate patients about their injury, teaching them how to manage pain, prevent further injury, and adopt proper body mechanics. They provide guidance on bracing, posture, footwear, and assistive devices, if necessary, to promote long-term healing and prevent recurrences.
- Long-Term Support: Physiotherapy offers ongoing support throughout the recovery process. Physiotherapists monitor progress, adjust the treatment plan as needed, provide home or gym-based exercise programs, stretches and self-management strategies. This long-term support helps individuals maintain the progress achieved during physiotherapy sessions.
Whether you are awaiting an upcoming surgery or planning to manage your injury conservatively, physiotherapy and exercise physiology have been shown as effective treatment options. Physiotherapy and exercise physiology can assist in improving your range of motion, alleviate your symptoms, strengthen your knee, and assisting you to return to meaningful activities and sport without discomfort.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact the team at Sound CBR and we look forward to helping you on your recovery journey!
Written by Stephen Batger (Physiotherapist & Exercise Physiologist)
O’Connor, D., Johnston, R. V., Brignardello-Petersen, R., Poolman, R. W., Cyril, S., Vandvik, P. O., & Buchbinder, R. (2022). Arthroscopic surgery for degenerative knee disease (osteoarthritis including degenerative meniscal tears). The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 3(3), CD014328. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD014328