You can easily develop a meniscus tear if you are physically active and like to engage in contact sports. You may experience debilitating pain, which may interfere with your ability to move and perform normal activities. Therefore, seeking meniscus tear Oklahoma City treatment may be beneficial in addressing the pain you may experience from a torn meniscus. Several treatment options are available, and your doctor may recommend one, depending on your condition.
How Will You Know You Have a Torn Meniscus?
You may forcefully rotate your knee when participating in a sporting injury, leading to a meniscus tear. Your meniscus tear cushions your thighs and shin bones while acting as cartilage. Pain and swelling may take up to 24 hours before it begins. Your signs and symptoms may include stiffness and swelling, a popping sensation, pain and difficulty stretching your knee, and a feeling of a locked knee. You may also find standing difficult as your knee tends to give way instead. You are at high risk of developing a torn meniscus if you are an athlete, especially if you engage in contact sports.
What Treatments are Available for a Meniscus Tear?
Your doctor will recommend treatment for your tear depending on the location of your tear. Additionally, your age may influence the type of treatment you may undergo. Treatment may include the following options.
Conservative Treatment
Your doctor may recommend the RICE treatment if your tear does not require surgery. First, avoid activities that increase your knee pain. Your doctor may give you crutches to reduce pressure from your knees and increase healing. Next, you can use ice on your knee to reduce swelling and pain and apply compression to keep the swelling down. Lastly, you may need to keep your knee elevated when you lie down. Additionally, your doctor may administer anti-inflammatory prescriptions to help with your swelling.
Knee Replacement Surgery
Your doctor may recommend this surgery if you have severe pain and find it difficult to move. The treatment involves reconstructing your degenerated joints using prosthetics to avoid rubbing and crushing bones together. Knee replacement surgery can involve total knee replacement, where your doctor replaces both sides of your joint. Also, your doctor may recommend partial knee replacement, where you will need replacement in only one side of your joint. However, recovery from both surgeries may differ, with a shorter recovery for partial knee replacement and a longer one with a total knee replacement. Your doctor may encourage you to keep your legs moving more often to increase blood flow to your muscles.
Physical Therapy
You may need to do physical activities that increase your knee muscles’ strength and help increase your joints’ stabilization. Also, you can avoid activities that may impact your knees.
Explore your treatment for a meniscus tear at Prairie Garden Medical today. Your medical team will evaluate your signs and symptoms to establish the correct diagnosis and set up the correct treatment. Every treatment option will produce varying results and depend on the damage’s extent. Visit the website to request your online appointment.
