When Is Surgery Not Necessary
Surgery versus conservative treatment for meniscus tears has been a medical topic of controversy for many years.
Today, in general, doctors recommend conservative treatment, not surgery, when meniscus tears result from degeneration. Many recent studies have shown that theres no advantage to surgery with this type of tear, and that physical therapy works just as well.
If your symptoms persist after 3 months or your symptoms become significant, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the tear.
Conservative treatment is also advised for smaller tears, and stable longitudinal meniscus tears that occur in the outer third of the meniscus, the red zone. This is the area of your meniscus that has some blood supply, which aids healing.
Your doctor may also recommend conservative measures as a first step if the tear is caused by injury to the knee.
as effective. Heres what it involves:
Question 8 Of : How Do I Know If I Have A Torn Meniscus
Question 2 Of : What At
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Meniscus Tear Exercise : Improve The Stability Of Your Knee
The second exercise you have to perform focuses on regaining the stability of your knee.
Due to the torn meniscus, your knee lacks stability. That makes walking more difficult and also increases the risk to re-injure your knee.
Perform the exercise like this:
- Stand on your injured leg
- Slightly bend the knee youre standing on
- Also, bend the other knee
- Make sure the legs dont touch each other
- Hold this position as long as you can
- Repeat the exercise as often as you can
You can see how to perform the exercise correctly in the youtube video.
You can do this exercise almost everywhere you are whether youre watching tv, cooking dinner, or brushing your teeth. You can do all this on one leg.
You can increase the difficulty of the exercise by closing your eyes. You can also buy a balance cushion to increase the difficulty of the training.
Essential Oils For Knee Pain And Healing
I believe that essential oils played a key role in helping me get better. Prior to this injury, I had almost no experience with oils. To say that I fell in love with them is an understatement.
- Wintergreen: Contains 99% methyl salicylate, which gives it cortisone-like properties. Supports discomfort that is related to inflammation of bones, muscles, and joints.; This is my favorite essential oil for knee pain!
- Peppermint: Anti-inflammatory properties helps damaged tissues. Has a soothing and cooling effect.
- German Chamomile: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
- Helichrysum: May help clean the blood and improves circulatory functions. It is a potent anti-inflammatory.
- Lemongrass: which supports inflammatory response, ligaments and tissue regeneration.
- Frankincense: which is also an anti-inflammatory and immune support that is good for general healing.
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Degenerative Meniscus Tears Vs Normal Meniscus Tears
As we age, the strength of our tissue changes. Just as skin gets wrinkles and hairs turn gray, a meniscus changes over time and gets weaker and more brittle. When people over 40 sustain a torn meniscus, the meniscus tissue tends to be less healthy and less likely to heal, with or without surgery.
When meniscus tears occur due to age, they are called degenerative meniscus tears and symptoms typically occur without significant injury. The meniscus tissue shows signs of age and can look frayed. Trying to surgically repair this type of meniscus tear is like trying to sew together frayed fabric the tissue simply won’t hold together.
On the other hand, younger, healthier meniscus tissue, seen in people in their teens and 20s, tends to tear more cleanly and often occurs as a result of an injury. The tissue is rubbery and strong, and when it tears, it tends to do so without the frayed edges. It also tends to tear in a single line rather than in multiple directions. These types of tears may be responsive to surgical repair.
How Does Prolotherapy Regrow Joint Cartilage
To answer how prolotherapy works, we first need to examine why joints take so long to heal in the first place. Joints, cartilage, tendons and ligaments take a long time to heal primarily because they are avascular. Being avascular is a medical term meaning that there are no blood vessels in these body structures. No blood vessels means that joints dont have an easy in/out flow to take in nutrients and eliminate waste. As a result of being avascular, joints have to get by on limited resources so repairs are slow.
But, where does joints being avascular intersect with how prolotherapy works? Prolo works by triggering the bodys own injury response by mimicking the chemical conditions that are present during a bruise, all without doing actual damage to the joint. Since joints dont have blood vessels in them, joint injuries dont trigger as much of a healing response as compared to bruises on muscles. When muscles are injured, cells, blood vessels and other important structures rupture/break, spilling their contents out into the surrounding body tissue. One of the substances that spills out of broken body cells during these bruising injuries is sugar, there are also proteins and blood components like platelets and other substances released. But, since joints dont have blood vessels, they dont bruise in the same way as muscles do.
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Here Is Sallys Story About Overcoming Knee Osteoarthritis With Imac Regeneration Centers
Sally was told by 3 orthopedic surgeons that she needed a total knee replacement, but she didnt want to go down that road because she was afraid of surgery, the recovery, the rehab, and negative side effects friends had told her about.
Looking for a non-surgical solution, Sally found IMAC Regeneration Centers and had treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Her treatment included platelet-rich plasma, cellular therapy, injections, and physical therapy. The results are obvious! Look at that beautiful joint space! Sallys knee is no longer bone-on-bone.
Sally is feeling so great that she has returned to IMAC for treatment on her shoulder. Were planning her care around an upcoming trip to Thailand something she would have never considered before having treatment on her knees! Her travel plans include visiting ancient temples and an elephant preserve.
Sally exercises 5 times a week, and can now walk, get in and out of the car, and roll over in bed without pain.
We are so happy for our friend, Sally!
What Are The Risks Associated With Knee Replacement Surgery
Studies show that in the case of complete knee replacements, as many as one-third of these surgeries are actually considered outright inappropriate, with fewer than half considered fully appropriate. That means that in at least one out of two cases, a full knee replacement wasnt absolutely necessary.
Besides the fact that they arent always necessary, there are a variety of other risks that can be caused by knee replacements:
- Infection and healing issues
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Natural Remedies For A Torn Meniscus
If you have knee pain and have been told you have a suspected meniscal tear either from an exam or from MRI, much of the time this can heal on its own with 4-6 weeks of rest, doing some physical therapy that would focus on some range of motion and strengthening exercises and correcting any biomechanical problems that may stem from the core, back, hips or the ankles. Nutritional support such as just working on a healthy diet, reducing inflammation in the body, taking some turmeric, fish oil, glucosamine, and chondroitin, can help knee pain and inflammation as well.
Supplements & Other Remedies That Helped
Turmeric:; The curcumin contained in turmeric is can help to reduce going pain and swelling.; Long-term studies have shown that it can reduce blood levels of inflammatory chemicals.; You can get it
Ginger Extract:; Ginger is a great way to decrease pain and inflammation.; I take 250mg of ginger extract four times a day to help with knee pain.
Glucosamine Sulfate:; This is found naturally in the fluid around the joints.; It can help to rebuild lost cartilages and prevent the breakdown of cartilage and fluid in joints.
Epsom Salts: I use Epsom salt baths on a regular basis to help to relax tight muscles.; It has detoxifying powers which can work to ease joint pain.; Try two cups of Epsom salts in a warm bath – I like to add in Lemongrass and Frankincense Essential Oils.
Arnica:; Arnica has anti-inflammatory compounds as well as a compound called helenin which is a natural analgesic.
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Question 3 Of : What Other Non
Knee Cartilage Repair Regeneration And Replacement
There are two primary types of cartilage in the knee: articular cartilage and meniscus . SeeSoft Tissue of the Knee Joint
These surgeries can be performed on almost any joint, but they are most commonly performed on knees. They are generally appropriate for people who have specific cartilage injuries rather than widespread cartilage damage, like that found in moderate to severe knee arthritis.
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Quadriceps Strengthening Exercises After An Acl Injury
The quadriceps is a muscle very susceptible to changes when confronted with;inactivity, and this means that it will start to atrophy and lose strength shortly after immobilization. Most patients with a torn ACL will use a brace right after the injury to prevent pain. But that brace will immobilize the knee, and the quadriceps will start to deteriorate.
- Lay on your back with your leg extended in the brace and contract the quadriceps. Hold it contracted for five seconds and then release it. Take a two-second break and then repeat the action. You can repeat this;15-20 times.
When you feel more secure and dont have that much pain, you can add another quadriceps strengthening exercise to your daily routine.
- Lay on your back with your leg extended. Pull the foot towards you so you can feel the;tension in the lower leg, contract the quadriceps, and elevate the extended leg. Hold the leg elevated for five seconds and then slowly bring it back to the bed, relax the quadriceps and the foot. Take a five-second break and repeat this action again nine more times.
These exercises will help your quadriceps not to lose;strength while;immobilized. Stronger quadriceps mean increased stability of the;knee joint.
Knee Cartilage Repair Without Surgery
Osteoarthritis affects millions of Americans every year, with symptoms appearing in the knees of 10% of men and 13% of women over age 60, according to researchers. Making matters worse is that the standard of care treatments for this common ailment center around quick-fixes that actually cause serious joint damage over time. When a patient complains of knee pain, the normal medical advice usually involves using NSAIDs like Ibuprofen/Advil to ease pain and inflammation and then graduating to Cortisone shots when those treatments side effects take hold. Yet, despite the prevalence of these painful and debilitating joint conditions, there has been relatively little development in terms of better treatments until recently. So, is there a better way to treat joint injuries and cartilage deterioration? Yes, there is: Prolotherapy.
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Also see: knee replacement alternatives.
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Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell knee therapy is becoming a popular alternative to knee replacement surgery. Through a method known as autologous transplantation, the cells are extracted from the patients bone marrow or fatty tissue, processed, and immediately injected into the damaged knee.
The procedure, performed within a single day, could provide the same results in a less traumatic way, without the risks of complications such as infection and blood clots. Many patients experience improvement within as little as one week.*
Some experts say that even most patients are able to return to normal activity following the procedure, which allows avoiding the painful and lengthy rehabilitation periods that are typically required after joint surgeries.
New Arthritic Knee Pain Treatment Can Lessen Pain Without Surgery
- A nonsurgical, minimally invasive treatment effectively provides pain relief both immediately and in the long term.
- Patients usually go home the same day after a short post-operative observation after undergoing genicular artery embolization or GAE.
Arthritis is one of the leading causes of joint-related pain for people throughout the world. Nevertheless, there may be a promising nonsurgical procedure that might relieve pain for at least 12 months.
Researchers at UCLA Health have studied a nonsurgical and minimally invasive treatment option for arthritis that effectively provides pain relief both immediately and in the long term.
Through a technique called genicular artery embolization, or GAE, physicians can relieve arthritis pain in the knees within hours of the procedure.
Arthritis is pain and swelling in the bodys joints after cartilage becomes damaged from overuse. It causes stiffness, immobility, and discomfort, which typically worsens with age.
When cartilage gets worn down, inflammatory enzymes are released, causing joint pain.
And with more than 100 types of arthritis, it is one of the most common ailments affecting people.
Genicular artery embolization is an outpatient procedure designed to limit inflammatory enzymes. GAE takes approximately 1 to 2 hours to complete, and patients usually go home the same day after a short post-operative observation.
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What Is The Function Of Cartilage
Cartilage is a form of connective tissue that covers the end of each bone in the body. It provides cushioning and shock absorption to the joints, allowing them to move smoothly without restriction. When there is decreased cartilage within a joint, you may experience pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving your joints through their full range of motion.
A variety of treatments are used to treat loss of cartilage in the knee, ranging from conservative measures like pain medications, weight loss, and physical therapy to more invasive procedures like injections and surgery, depending on the severity of your symptoms and degree of cartilage loss.
Who Should Get This
Not everybody is a good candidate for this procedure. UCLA Health says the ideal patients are people ages 40 and 80, have moderate to severe localized knee pain and did not benefit from other therapies.
Sethi told Healthline that though this is a great option for older people who cannot tolerate surgery, more research may be needed to verify these findings.
We definitely need larger and randomized controlled studies to help us understand the true impact of embolization. However, this seems like a relatively safe and non-invasive option for non-surgical patients who are looking for additional options, said Sethi.
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