Getting a repair(trim) on a partially torn miniscus this week. What is the most agressive, yet intelligent way to rehab?
just had mine almost 2 months ago… ice, elevation, advil. Started out with simple straight leg raises, leg extension/curl, and pushing a towel down with back of knee (basically flexing your thigh to push down). All with no weights at first for about a week 3xs that week. Finally got into see my PT, and basically did all the same with weight except the last one. I did all my PT at work so I bought ankle weights of all different weights and started off with what I could tolerate. I really had no pain after surgery and had no problems walking on it right away. The biggest pain I rain into was swelling. I found that icing obviously worked well with that. As swelling went down, any problems or complications did too so ice as much as possible, and I did 3 advil 3xs a day to help with inflammation as well. I was doing 3 sets of ten, and increased weight by 2.5-5 lbs. each week depending on what exercise I was doing. Now instead of increasing weight, I’ve increased sets/reps. I’m now doing 4 sets of 20, single leg step ups on a chair (4 sets of 15), simple double leg plyos like the dot drill and step hopping. Still no running, and I find that riding the bike lightly to get a good spin with little resistance helps flush fluids out. I’m sure there are millions of more out there but I dedicate about 45 minutes 3xs a week and have been happy and a visit to the PT every 2 weeks for more drills and he’s been happy. I’m 8 weeks from surgery now, still have some swelling (frustrating) but I’m sure recovery is different for everyone. If your surgery is minor, get to your PT ASAP, be patient, and listen. Good luck.
had mine several years ago at age 58. was told they took 60% of posterior medial horn. i did recumbent bike almost from get go. minimal swelling went away pretty quick. had good doctor at emory who works on GA Tech footballers. he thought i would not be able to run much in future and arthritis would be a visitor.
do exercises mentioned in previous post. i was back running at 6 weeks, which was probably too aggressive and my other leg compensated which translated into patella femoral issues.
arthritis still at bay mostly…cold days make it seem worse. i do take tissue rejuvenator by hammer products and no major knee complaints…
i have backed off on mileage. now in my 60s i don’t do anything longer than oly distance…waiting until they perfect stem cells, check out regenexx website.
good luck.
Well, if you’re just getting a clip–not a repair–then
Heel slides, SLRs, quad sets, leg extensions (no weight at first, then work up to canned goods of varying weights in a tote bag sort of thing hanging from your ankle) pretty much from day one. Ice, ice, ice. I have one of these: http://www.kneeshop.com/proddetail.asp?prod=11B20B&cat=20 (AirCast Ice wrap with pump). If you buy them used, you can get a good deal on ebay. And if you’re like me and use it an ungodly amount, it’s worth it even if you pay a bit more.
Def. start spinning as soon as you can/you get the okay. Pool running is good too, if you have the okay and the ROM.
Basically, at the outset, ROM is the most important thing. That’s where folks get into trouble–they back off pushing through that first bit, and it gets more and more painful without use, and then you start compensating. It’s insidious, really–and a lot of folks fall prey to it without realizing.
If you have a run-specific PT clinic available, I recommend them. Otherwise, just follow your PTs advise, and be dilligent…but not stupid.
Some people are ready to start jogging again pretty soon–within a few weeks. Others take a few months or more. Everyone is different–heck, I’ve had different experiences with all of mine.
Getting a repair(trim) on a partially torn miniscus this week. What is the most agressive, yet intelligent way to rehab?
As a “veteran” of 4 such “repairs,” I would recommend the following:
After surgery, wear the most flexible shoes you can find to walk in. Research shows that inflexible shoes cause knee pain post-op.Once you get past the initial rehab, do adductor and abductor exercises at the gym (yeah, the girly ones) in addition to hams and quads. Found these make a huge difference in the stability of my knee.Try Hammer Nutrition’s Tissue Rejuventator…yeah, I know what the research says, but I swear I can tell the difference when I don’t use it.Be aware of favoring the injured leg. Focus on using it more.Wear compression tights.
Of course, your results may vary.
Good luck!
had it done 5 yrs ago and now have osteoarthritis, but, with Ossur knee brace, I’m able to still do Ironman tris…good luck
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I don’t have much to add except it will hurt a lot and ice is the best for pain. Just follow your PT’s workout scheme and get back to straight line running. The other posters outlined the exercises you’ll have to do.
Rehab is all about consistency, but rule one first, no two injuries are alike. Therefore, responses made on this post should be taken with a grain of salt. I had mine done last September and by Thanksgiving I was running 10K’s at my normal (pre-injury speed). The first two weeks is all about circulation, reduction in swelling, range of motion. Two weeks after my surgery I did a slow 2-mile run - then added 1 mile to each run until I got up to 12 miles. Most of my strength training rehab was off machines and on my feet doing athletic movements. ladder drills, step-ups, and slide board.
Ibuprofen (preferably prescription. Seriously 200mg prescription is better than otc), ice, and riding your bike, at least on the trainer. Biggest thing is to get rid of the swelling and get ROM as quick as you can so you can move. Had this done a few times now and this is my standard protocol.