Is it possible to distinguish between meniscus irritation and meniscus tearing?
The meniscus irritation is often not clearly distinguishable from meniscus tear by the symptoms. An irritation is in most cases not so painful. However, both injuries can cause increased pain during movement or strain.
A torn meniscus is also often accompanied by an inhibition of the extension in the knee joint. However, inhibition of stretching can also occur when the meniscus is irritated, if a severe swelling has formed which prevents stretching. In order to be able to reliably exclude a torn meniscus, an MRI of the knee (magnetic resonance imaging) should be performed. In addition, a meniscus tear can be visualized by arthroscopy of the knee, in which treatment can be carried out immediately if there is damage. This topic might also be of interest to you:
- Meniscus lesion
Therapy
Very important for the therapy of a meniscus irritation is that the affected knee is spared in order to recover. This protection should last about 4 weeks, depending on the healing process and the symptoms of the affected person. A manual therapy should be carried out by a trained physiotherapist.
In manual therapy, the therapist uses certain techniques to find the cause of pain or a movement blockage in the joint and, depending on the findings, selects special movement techniques and handles as therapy. In the acute phase, it is often helpful to put the affected leg up and cool it, for example with ice or curd wraps. Pain and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs) such as ibuprofen or diclofenac can also provide short-term relief.Due to their wide spectrum of side effects, which occur mainly during permanent use, the intake here should be limited to a few days when the pain is acute.
During the entire sparing phase, the type of sport that may be the cause of meniscus irritation should be discontinued in any case. Even after the sparing phase, when the knee is supposedly no longer a problem, one should consider switching to another sport that is less stressful for the knee, since after the first occurrence of meniscus irritation a recurrence and also the risk of osteoarthritis increases. Sports such as Nordic walking, cycling or swimming are considered particularly gentle on the knee.
If the person concerned suffers from overweight, it is absolutely advisable to strive for weight reduction. In this way, renewed overloading of the knee resulting from the increased body weight can be avoided. Failure to adhere to the resting phase or the recommended weight reduction may result in arthrosis of the knee joint, which is an irreversible (irreversible) degenerative knee joint disease that can often only be treated in its later stages by knee joint replacement (knee TEP, total knee endoprosthesis).
Insofar as the meniscus irritation is caused by a malposition and the resulting overloading of the knee joint, wearing orthopedic shoes or insoles can compensate for this and thus prevent the pain from developing. Externally, both a sports ointment with analgesic, herbal ingredients and ointments containing active ingredients such as diclofenac (e.g. Voltarensalbe) can be applied to the aching knee. These ointments are particularly effective when applied under a professionally applied stabilizing bandage.
The advantage of this local external application is that there are no typical side effects of diclofenac tablets (Voltaren® in tablet form) such as stomach pain or the formation of a stomach ulcer. However, for acute pain, diclofenac or ibuprofen can also be taken in tablet form for a few days, as the typical side effects usually only occur after prolonged use. In case of meniscus irritation, a bandage can help to alleviate the symptoms.
The knee joint is supported and stabilized by the bandage. In addition, the knee joint and the irritated menisci are relieved by wearing a bandage. Relief is achieved by increasing the pressure in the knee joint using a pressure pad in the support.
The pressure pad sits on the kneecap (patella) when the support is worn. It is important that the support fits correctly. The pressure of the support should be placed in the correct position so that the knee joint can be guided and the menisci can be relieved.
The bandage should be worn until the patient is free of complaints. It can also be worn during sports activities as a preventive measure after meniscus irritation to prevent recurrence of symptoms. More about this:
- Knee Bandage
Homeopathy can be used as a supportive treatment for meniscus irritation.
However, if knee complaints persist for a longer period of time, a doctor should be consulted. The globules are taken in potency D12, five pieces, three times a day. On the one hand Arnica can be taken for pain.
If the pain is more prickly, Apis mellifica can alleviate the symptoms. Calendula can counteract pain and swelling. Colchicum can be taken for pulling pain and weakness in the knee. In case of severe pain, which worsens with movement, it is recommended to take Ruta.
