topic Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee? in Wellness

Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

beauty junkie — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 06:45:16 GMT

Besides all my other health issues while at my rheumatologists office I told him my knee has been unbearable. Ultrasound showed 2 tears in the meniscus and a cyst and loaded with calcium. He gave me a steroid shot and now it feels worse. I don't want surgery,any ideas how to help this pain would be much appreciated.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

OkeyDokey — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 06:58:16 GMT

While you don't desire surgery, it is usually a scope procedure with fast recovery. Physical therapy may help somewhat.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

CaliKat — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 06:58:30 GMT

I'm so sorry you're in pain. I'm afraid I don't have a solution for the pain, unless perhaps physical therapy can help it without the surgery. I tore the meniscus in my knee, and was unable to walk on it at all. I had to have the surgery to correct it, followed by physical therapy, and it was fine. The physical therapy following the surgery is very important, because it strengthens everything. I hope someone will post some suggestions for you. Good luck, and I hope you feel better.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

wismiss — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:02:12 GMT

Hopefully some other posters will have some suggestions, too. I tore the meniscus in my right knee in two places. I eventually had to have a knee replacement. However, in the interim between the meniscus being torn and the knee replacement, I had cortisone shots and hyaluronic shots, and also had physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the knee so it wouldn't buckle, or freeze. My osteoarthritis became so bad I was bone on bone and that was the need for a knee replacement. However, if your problem is a meniscus tear without accompanying osteoarthritis, I would talk to your doctor about physical therapy as a first intervention. Then, if after a period of therapy it is still painful, explore shots.

Be cautious about taking NSAIDs for pain relief. Prolonged use of such pain relievers can cause chronic kidney disease in some people.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

CaChica — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:15:48 GMT

I am sorry you are having pain and will get relief soon.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

beauty junkie — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:16:48 GMT

Thanks for the help everyone. I have Lupus,RA and fibromayalgia and my healing is so poor so thats why hesitant on surgery. I will be seeing my Ortho Dr soon and then an MRI and see what can be done. The pain is pretty bad thats for sure.I appreciate your input.Lots os calcium on the knee and a cyst too.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Cookie06 — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:18:21 GMT

I had a torn meniscus and nothing helped but finally had surgery. The surgery was so easy to recover from and being pain free in that knee is so wonderful. Best of luck you and I hope you can find some relief.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Kachina624 — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:39:40 GMT

When you have a shot for knee pain, it usually feels worse for a couple days before it feels better. Surgery is really the only solution to fix a torn meniscus. When I had one, I had a lot of other damage to the knee so I elected to have a total knee replacement. It's fine now. The shot should help and you can have them periodically, but they eventually will no longer be effective.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

sfnative — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:46:15 GMT

Hi BJ!

Around 1999 my husband and I flew to our Christmas destination and I experienced such pain in my right knee I nearly asked to stop by the ER after we got in our rental car. It wasn't any better going home on the plane. At the time, I didn't know what the deal was with the plane. However, after seeing a knee doc and having an MRI, I understood.

My lateral meniscus had "accordioned" and sustained a huge tear as well. Additionally, he showed me that I had a meniscial cyst toward the front of my knee the size of a walnut. That's what was causing the big pain. See, on the plane I had worn jeans which didn't have much give, so they pressed on the cyst for hours, which then pressed on nerves and other structures in the joint. My doc said the knee capsule was also torn and that I must have really done myself an injury, because I honestly needed surgery to get that cyst out, remove the accordioned cartilage and anchor the capsule.

It took me months after that surgery to figure out what I had done to my knee and when and then I was ticked off at myself for not reporting it because I was on a Christmas errand at work to purchase poinsettias at the flower mart, when we dashed across a very busy street. Well, me with heels on tripped and fell directly onto my right knee. I could not move it hurt that much and begged Leo to come get me off of the street. LOL! He thought I was kidding. Not!

Anyway, all I thought I had was a skinned knee, because I never had a bruise or any swelling and that was in 1987, a full 12 years prior to experiencing all that pain on the plane.

I hope you can get that cyst out of there.

~Rebecca

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Tissyanne — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:50:17 GMT

On 1/7/2015 beauty junkie said:
Thanks for the help everyone. I have Lupus,RA and fibromayalgia and my healing is so poor so thats why hesitant on surgery. I will be seeing my Ortho Dr soon and then an MRI and see what can be done. The pain is pretty bad thats for sure.I appreciate your input.Lots os calcium on the knee and a cyst too.

Hi beauty junkie, I just now read your thread, and am sorry you are in pain. My husband had this, along with a baker's cyst behind the knee. Very painful. He did have surgery, and it was out patient. I brought him home on crutches the same day. I am not sure of other options, with your health problems, I can sure understand your concern. The bakers cyst went away when he had the surgery. Nothing had to be done for it. I hope you get relief beauty, and soon.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

beauty junkie — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:56:04 GMT

Thank you all so very much. I will see what my oath Dr recommends. I just never heal and am so prone to infections but do know I can't live with the knee like this.

Kachina thanks for letting me know that the shot feels worse at frost hen better,hoping that will be the case.

Hi Rebecca and wow what a story. I have no head how this happened,didn't do anything but just got up one day with really bad pain.

Tissyanne even my rheumatologist said I am not a good surgical candidate as my RA is progressing. Oh well,will have to see but so far looks like surgery may be in my future.

I really do appreciate everyones help and experience.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

customerqvc2 — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 21:40:27 GMT

I had an accident with my horse and tore my meniscus in my left knee. I wore a leg brace for twelve weeks and did physical therapy, but got no relief. Finally, I had arthroscopic surgery and it was so easy that I wondered why I waited and went through all that pain. The next day, I was walking around and felt great. I've never had any problems with that knee again.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Still Raining — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 21:45:17 GMT

A BF had one repaired in an otherwise healthy knee and it was very easy and healed quickly. I am sure you will be given good advice by the MD since you have a more complex set of items to deal with. Hope it goes well.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

LTT1 — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 21:50:05 GMT

Not going to hi-jack your discussion strand, Beauty Junkie! We are due to leave for an out-of-town trip soon, and I have advised DH that we need to pack lightly at all cost. He thought he had a torn meniscus two-three weeks ago and luckily it was not. However, it is still healing -- he was told that it was a sprain. Any other suggestions concerning how to prevent further damage?

Good to know that there are some here who have had repairs, etc. and healed up nicely!

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Shelbelle — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 22:28:22 GMT

My friend had the scope done yesterday for torn miniscus, very easy procedure.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Dorothy11 — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 00:25:43 GMT

I had surgery for this about 15 years ago. I damaged the knee and didn't get medical attention for a couple of years (no insurance) until I damaged it so bad I couldn't straighten out the knee or walk. I tried PT for a few weeks which did not help. The surgery went fine - in and out the same day. The surgeon said he pulled out a big piece of miniscus, and did not have to worry about future damage.The knee was swollen for a few days, but didn't really hurt. I still can't kneel on it, but other than that, am not limited. Go for the surgery.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Gooday — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 03:43:05 GMT

I had an arthroscopy the end of June. May 1st, I had been going up and down stairs when helping to get my dad's condo ready to sell. The next day I couldn't put weight on my left leg. I babied it and limped around as we were looking at senior apartments.

Long story short: I saw the ortho doctor who took x-rays and gave me a cortisone shot. A week later I had an MRI that revealed 2 torn menisci. I had the surgery and thought it would be a breeze. He told me that when he did the scope, there was a whole lot of arthritis that did not show up on x-rays. He also told me I had a discoid meniscus (misshapen in the form of a disc). The nurses in the O.R. applied the tourniquet which is normal operating procedure, but they made it so tight, I had pain for weeks. My surgeon showed me the exercises to strength my quads which is what they show you in P.T.

I am 61 and even though the surgery was necessary, I didn't bounce back like I thought. However, he told me I am looking at a TKR down the line.

Torn cartilage NEVER heals itself...it's what you can live with and many do and go on to do well with non impact activities and occasional NSAID's.

The procedure itself is a one day/same day procedure and depending on your age and life style, that will determine your outcome. Don't be afraid of the arthroscopy. There are far worse things.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Libbylady — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 04:17:31 GMT

If your doctor recommends the scope knee surgery, do it. I had this about 10 years ago and it was a snap! I was back to my low impact aerobic class in 3 weeks. You will be down for at most, a week, but if you can borrow a walker from a friend, or rent one, you will be using it in just a few days.

No pain in my knee since, but having arthritis in my ankles doesn't let me do the exercises any more.

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

Q4u — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 04:29:45 GMT

As a prior 2nd Degree Black Belt, I've had all kinds of knee issues, including a torn meniscus, a burst bursa sack, a piece of tibia chipped off under the knee cap and a torn ligament (I was an enthusiastic Karate girl!).... but it was my understanding that the ligaments and the meniscus, when torn will not heal on their own, they need surgery. I've had surgery on both knees. One required a 5 inch cut to get in there, but the other two surgeries were orthoscopic(sp). The healing time with the orthoscopic(sp) surgeries were very fast, recovered nicely.

I gave up Karate with the burst bursa sack (took a year to heal and was SO painful).... when my Doctor warned me that unless I wanted to get around in a wheelchair at 70, to give it up. I gave it up about ten years ago and am now really feeling the effects of pushing my knees. I won't have a wheelchair at 70, but knee braces, walkers and an all terrain cane sound pretty good.... j/k

Re: Anyone have experience with torn meniscus in knee?

spenditallbaby — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 04:35:24 GMT

I tore my meniscus (likely a grade I or grade II) in the summer, and my knee is basically back to normal. I did not have an MRI because I refused, and my knee was deemed a 4 out of a 10. There were days when I could barely get out of the chair to walk across the room, and I usually had to wait about five seconds after I stood up for the pain to subside.

I refused any type of treatment or MRI, and worked my way through this with time and determination. When I was able to function with a little less pain, maybe three months later, I would walk. After almost 6 months, I am basically back to normal, though probably an 8.5 out of 10, but no pain whatsoever. I'm hoping to get to 10 in another month or two.

Since my injury, I talked to several people that did have the arthro surgery. Yes, the surgery is a snap, but not everyone gets back to normal and I did read a few horror stories where the patient was much worse after the surgery and regrets having it done. Others injured it again and, though they had surgery the first time, decided to skip it and give it time and PT.

I read where it could take 9 to 12 months for a tear to "heal" on its own with PT, and I was willing to wait that long. Six months later, I'm very careful about where and how I walk, but at least I'm able to dash for that subway or bus.