Do you know what meniscus is? It is a cartilage layer in your knee that has many vital functions. It helps in the proper fixing of your knee joint, acts as a shock absorber while you walk or perform other activities, and keeps your knee stable. When your meniscus gets damaged due to any injury, it may develop a tear. The recovery of the tear depends on the intensity of damage and your health condition. However, here is a guide on how to cure meniscal tears through exercises.
What are the Symptoms of Meniscal Tear?
A meniscal tear can develop due to high pressure due to heavy lifting, harsh movements, or stressful exercising. Some of the common signs of this ailment include knee pain and swelling, inflammation, knee locking, and muscle weakness.
This injury is more likely in military personnel, sportspeople, athletes, active people, and individuals whose job requires lifting heavy objects. However, the risk increases when you cross the age of 40 years.
What is the Recovery Time of Meniscal Tear?
If you have a less severe meniscus tear, it may take 1-2 months to recover. And in more critical cases, when the tear causes a meniscal cyst, you may require surgery, and your recovery time may extend up to 6 months.
Which Exercises to Try for Meniscal Tear?
If your condition is less severe, your physician or physiotherapist may recommend gentle exercises. And, usually, these exercises may cause you discomfort. However, if any activity worsens your pain, you should cease it immediately.
Mini Squats for Meniscal Tear
Squats help strengthen your quads and thigh muscles without placing high pressure on your knees. To do mini squats, you need to:
- Stand while your spine, shoulders, and skull are aligned with a wall.
- Your feet are at a shoulder-width distance and one foot away from the wall.
- Slightly flex your knee, and move your buttocks towards the floor.
- Then at almost 15 degrees at your flex, stop.
- Retain the position for nearly 10 seconds, then gradually move the body back to the beginning position while keeping your spine and shoulders against the wall.
- Do this with two sets, and repeat it almost ten times. Take a rest of one minute in between the sets.
Quadriceps Setting for Meniscal Tear
To perform the exercise in quadriceps setting, you should keep your body in a static position and follow these steps:
- Sit down or lie flat on the floor while your legs are stretched away from the body.
- Then, contract the quadriceps and use it to push the backside of your knee towards the bottom.
- Retain this position for almost ten to twenty seconds.
- Perform two sets of ten contractions. You may rest for one minute in between.
Straight Leg Elevation for Meniscal Tear
The workout helps stretch your hamstrings and fortify the quads. To execute this, you must:
- Lie down on the ground while your left foot is flat, and your right leg is stretched.
- Then, keep your backbone and pelvis in the neutral position, and stretch the right foot, and constrict the right thigh muscle while gradually lifting the right leg off the ground.
- After raising the right leg (almost 45 degrees), gradually lower it down.
- You may perform two sets and repeat it ten times (before shifting your left leg).
Prone Hang for Meniscal Tear
A prone Hand helps enhance a knee’s range of motion. So, to perform this:
- Lie upside down on a bed while your legs are stretched over the edge.
- Then, allow gravity to pull your left knee until it is fully stretched.
- Maintain this position for half a minute before moving your left knee back up.
- Repeat this exercise three times, and then perform the same for your right knee.
Hamstring Curls for Meniscal Tear
The exercise helps fortify your hamstrings (muscles at the backside of your thighs). To carry out this:
- Lie upside down on your stomach while your legs are straight.
- Then, gradually flex the right knee, raise the right foot towards your buttock.
- Gradually lower the right foot.
- Perform two sets of this exercise, and repeat 8-10 times while resting for half a minute in between.
- Next, repeat the same with your left leg.
Hamstring Heel Digs
It is another hamstring exercise, as it helps fortify your abdominal muscles. To do this:
- Lie down on your backbone while your knees are flexed and feet positioned straight on the ground.
- Curve your feet so that your heel can touch the ground.
- Then, force your foot heels into the floor, gradually slide them around 5 inches from your body.
- After this, glide the heels back, and resume the beginning position.
- Perform two sets with 8-10 repetitions. Take rest for a minute in between.
Standing Heel Elevations
Standing Heel Elevations helps build strength in your calf muscles. To perform this, you need to:
- Stand while your feet are at a distance (hip-width), while your hands rest on an extensive and firm furniture piece for knee support.
- Then, gradually raise your heels from the ground as much as you can quickly.
- Next, maintain this position for a few seconds, and slowly lower your heels to the ground.
- Perform three sets with 8-10 repetitions. Take rest for almost a minute in between sets.
Clams
Clams involve several body muscles that may include your hip abductors and buttocks. To do clams, you should follow these steps:
- Lie down on your left side while keeping your hips and feet aligned all the time.
- Flex the knees to 45 degrees, and gradually raise the top knee as high as you can without shifting your lower backbone or pelvis.
- Then, gradually lower the top knee to its beginning position.
- Experts recommend two sets with ten repetitions. You may take a rest for a few seconds in between.
- Then, repeat it on your right side.
Leg Extensions
Leg extensions workouts help strengthen your thigh muscles. You may perform it many times in a day, and to do it, you are required to:
- Sit down on a seat while your feet lie flat on the ground.
- Bend your right foot, and then raise it while straightening your right leg.
- Gradually lower your right foot to the beginning position.
- Repeat it ten times, and then perform this with your left limb.
