A torn meniscus is one of the most common knee injuries, particularly in athletes and people who play sports for fun. It is more common in older people and people with knee arthritis –arthritis causes the cartilage in your knees to wear down, get weaker, and thus more prone to tears.
Torn meniscus symptoms include a popping sensation, pain, swelling or stiffness, and difficulty straightening your knee fully. If you have torn your meniscus and are having these symptoms, you might want to know the treatment for it.
Let’s discuss the treatment of your meniscal tear and where you can go for torn meniscus treatment in Walnut Creek, CA.
Treatment for Torn Meniscus
The torn meniscus treatment depends on the tear’s type, size, and location. Most commonly, the torn meniscus is treated with:
Rest
Physical activities that involve knee twisting and rotation can aggravate your knee symptoms. So, you must take a break from these activities. Resting your knees alleviates painful symptoms and allows the knees to heal.
If your pain is severe, use crutches. Crutches can take the pressure off your knees and promote healing. You can also wrap your knee in a compression bandage to reduce swelling.
Ice
Applying ice packs on your knees can reduce knee pain and stiffness. You can place ice packs or a frozen bag of vegetables on your knees for at least 15 minutes every 4 to 6 hours for the first two to three days after injury.
Medications
If your knee pain is not improving with rest and icing, take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin alleviate pain and stave off soreness. Your orthopedic doctor may also prescribe prescription painkillers if your knee pain is severe.
In some cases, cortisone shots are also administered to eliminate knee pain, swelling, and stiffness.
PRP Therapy
Studies have supported that knee injuries, including meniscus tears, respond well to platelet-rich plasma therapy. PRP therapy uses your body’s own platelets and growth factors to kick start and/or boost the healing of the torn meniscus.
Physical Therapy
To stabilize and support your knee joint and to strengthen the muscles around your knee joint, your orthopedic doctor may recommend physical therapy. Physical therapy exercises can relieve knee symptoms and boost the natural healing process.
Surgery
Typically, a meniscal tear associated with arthritis improves with the treatment of arthritis, so it does not need surgery. Similarly, a meniscal tear that isn’t related to the block of knee motion gets better with conservative treatments over time and doesn’t indicate surgery.
However, surgery is indicated if the knee pain remains after the nonsurgical therapy. During the surgery, your orthopedic surgeon repairs the tear using an arthroscope.
If you have advanced degenerative arthritis, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend a knee replacement. A meniscus transplant is recommended for younger people who do not have advanced arthritis.
Torn Meniscus Treatment in Walnut Creek, CA
If you’ve sustained a knee injury and are searching for a highly skilled and reputable orthopedic surgeon, look no further than our board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Timmerman. She has specialized in sports medicine and is a leading sports medicine specialist in Walnut Creek, California, who treats all types of the knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries. Our orthopedic surgeon offers a wide range of treatment options and designs a treatment plan according to a patient’s unique needs.
To make an appointment with our outstanding orthopedic surgeon Dr. Timmerman, call us today at (925) 952-4080 or request an appointment online.
