Torn Medial Meniscus In Knee...need to strengthen my knees!

[Ramsfan]

Now, before you say, your knee is not a muscle, duh, of course i know that. I just didn't want the thread to be 400 words long, so i shortened it.

What i need, is a good workout to strengthen the muscles around my knee. I am not going to get that surgery (unless it starts to hurt like crazy, but it doesn't) and i want my muscles to do more work so my ligaments and knee can take somewhat of a break.

Thanks.

[jiujitsugirl]

I read, when I was recouping from acl and meniscus surgery, that wall sits are the best exercise for stabilizing that area. they're great because you can do them anywhere, you don't have to be in a gym.

Other than wall sits, my physical therapist had me do like, I can't remember if they were "closed chain" or "open chain"...there's some sort of technical word....but basicallly, no leg extensions....becasue your feet aren't on the ground or some thing...like, the pressures too much on the knee....(sorry, I'm not a physical therapist in real life, but I play one on tv.)
Lunges were considered great, squats not so good, wall sits excellent, and then of course,the ever loving big ball, which she would have me do all sorts of hamstring lifts.

Also, step ups, where you keep your hips level with each other (don't hitch one side) and step up on to a stair and raise and lower yourself. Those and wall sits are good for doing everyday when you're just hanging around.

Find a good physical therapist, one who understands sports...in new york we have Pro Fit (who I liked to call profit because of the high $$$) but they are good.

[getgopi1]

I have been living with a significant lateral meniscus tear (courtesy of a game of tennis) for about a year now. It neither aches nor does it make my knee unstable. This is because I have been a big fan of full squats for several years now. As a result of which, my quads are so strong that they are helping keep my knee stable.

You want to know the best exercise for strengthening your quads? Take your bicycle out on paved roads for a couple of hours twice a week. As for leg extensions, there is no reason to do them even when you don't have a meniscal tear. However, since the tear happened, I have been doing unweighted leg extensions sitting on the edge of a bench prior to lifting. This really helps warm up the knee in a safe way. Note that I don't recommend this if your tear is interfering with a ligament.

My doctor said that I didn't need surgery unless the meniscus tears apart and starts interfering with knee movement. From the way things are going, everything looks good and I expect to live with the tear for a few more years. But I am going to keep off sprinting, climbing and snowboarding On the positive side, this is a good chance to try sailing and playing the guitar I am back to doing full squats now although I am not using as much weight. For instance, the Front Squats stop at around 155 Lbs for reps. I deadlifted (off the floor) finally on Monday after doing nothing but Rack Pulls and Goodmornings for several months. And I deadlifted 285 Lbs!! Not my best lift but still pretty good considering I have not done the full deadlift for almost a year. My knees actually felt real nice and cozy after that session. Your choice of shoes really make a difference. I also have tendonitis of the patellar tendon. So I feel discomfort when I walk down stairs wearing formal shoes. However, if I wear cushy sneakers, I don't feel any discomfort at all. After that first swelling last year which warned me of the injury, I have had swelling only once...after I attempted a session of mountain biking! What was I thinking!!

If you are still wondering...no, squatting did NOT cause the tear. It was a twisting motion that happened in a game of tennis. The Squatting is actually helping me

[Ramsfan]

tried to play basketball today. Didn't do that bad. In fact, i was surprised. I can't full out sprint...but light jogging is possible. Only after 6 days too. Doesn't hurt a bit now.

But that knee is insane. Two Years Ago, ACL Injury. One Year Ago, Torn Meniscus. Now...i'm thinking it's a acl reinjury...but i'm not sure. Range of motion is returning though ( can almost squat)

[GoHardOrGoHome]

If you tore your meniscus badly and are expecting it to heal, it most likely won't have a good healing rate b/c there isn't a rich blood supply for the meniscus for it to heal. If it happens to get worse you might want to look into surgery to repair it b/c it's going to lead to chronic weakness in ur knee and possible arthritis later in the future. The surgery for a repair usually take up to 4 months. with crutches pwb (partial weight bearing) and then if you had a meniscectomy it would take 3-8 wks. on average and crutches pwb...plus all the rehab.

As for the muscles that you could strengthen you would want to target the usual quad and hamstring gropus and the TFL and Adductors also. That's all that in a nutshell