A meniscus tear is one of the most common knee injuries experienced by active people. Sportsmen and women may experience this when violent movement actually causes a rip in the meniscus. The meniscus forms at each side of the knee and stabilizes the movement of the knee joint. Thus there are two menisci for each knee. If one of these is torn, movement of the knee can become abnormally painful.

As a patient gets older, meniscus tears may become more likely, since the meniscus becomes weaker. This is why older patients often have knee problems.

Diagnosis

The standard diagnosis is started when the general practitioner tests the knee for motion to determine where the problem exists. In minor cases, the pain may pass quickly though many cases require much more detailed diagnosis. This is first done by X-Ray which compares both knees, and if the results are not sufficiently detailed, an MRI scan will be performed to see more information. An orthopedic surgeon may be asked to look at the injury. This is all part of the normal diagnosis process.

Treatment

The treatment depends upon the severity of the injury. Cold packs may be applied to help bring down swelling or physical exercise may be supervised by a physiotherapist. The patient may be asked to elevate the leg, and to wear a knee brace. The more drastic the tear, the more the likelihood that the meniscus tears will need to be repaired by keyhole surgery, though meniscus removal or repair can add to the likelihood of arthritis at a later time.

Only the specialist will be able to determine the exact treatment needed in each individual case, although meniscus removal is avoided and is only used as a last measure if there are no other options. How efficient the repair will be depends largely upon where the tear is located.

Natural treatment

Protecting cartilage from damage has to be on everyone’s agenda. Cartilage throughout the body responds in the same way to aging and becomes fragile. However, there is scientific evidence that precautionary treatments with natural dietary supplements such as Regenerix Gold can help the regeneration of cartilage thus keeping it strong and able to withstand more shock. This may avoid meniscus tears because the fragility of the meniscus is automatically strengthened after continued treatment.