Meniscal Tears

Meniscal Tears

We've partnered with our friends at SOCCER ADDICT to bring you this article on meniscal tears and the benefit of PILATES in their physiological treatment and/or post-surgery rehabilitation.

If you are a soccer lover you may know meniscal injuries are extremely common on the field as they are in many other sports and activities involving intense rotation of the knee. Common symptoms include swelling, pain, reduced range of motion and a knee locking or "giving way" sensation. A severe tear can require surgical intervention but for more minor injuries or as a pre-op and post-op treatment, PILATES has proven to be very effective in improving and restoring the range of motion.

The meniscal tear can occur in various ways but the three most frequent will be:

- on the medial meniscus

- on the lateral meniscus 

- the "bucket handle" tear

Eric Wong from Precision Movement shows us how to self diagnose which tissue is damaged with a few simple steps. First, bend the knee to the point of tension and gently rotate the tibia externally and internally. If the external rotation is painful the medial meniscus is torn, if the internal rotation is more painful it's the lateral meniscus. If the rotation is not the major issue straighten your leg and gently press it onto the floor, if the knee cannot reach full extension it indicates a "bucket handle" tear.  In all cases and regardless of which exact tissue is damaged, the exercises will have the common purpose of restoring full function of the knee joint and that is where PILATES once again provides an ideal solution, tailored to the body's needs, improving strength yet working with and around weaknesses!

A proper PILATES plan of action in meniscal tears treatment and rehabilitation will focus on slowly strengthening and stretching the muscles around the knee and providing good blood flow to the cartilage. We will work within comfortable range of motion avoiding pain and of course kneeling and jumping or even standing exercises which can cause weight and stress on the affected joint. Starting with simple closed chain movements we will work on gentle flexion and extension of the knee before slowly increasing intensity and range of motion including rotations of the joint. Some gentle mat figures and balance moves, as well as light spring footwork on the reformer, will lead to more challenging footwork on the chair, lunges, assisted squats and standing work on the reformer.

The Balanced Body team presented a case or torn lateral meniscus and presented great results. "After 8 weeks of treatment the client showed increased tolerance to all exercises with minimal complaint of knee pain. He was able to climb and descend stairs without discomfort. Bilateral quad strength was equal at 5/5. After two months of Pilates exercises focused on strengthening the muscles around the knee and keeping the hip stable, John was back to full function without limitations."

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