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“Wer Ein Warum Hat, Dem Ist Kein Wie Zu Schwer!”
Friedrich Nitzsche (1844-1900, German Philosopher and Critic).
Meniscus lesions are a frequent traumatic event in sports.
Pain from a meniscus lesion of the knee can involve the whole leg, and induce walking impotence.
Direct consequence is reducing physical activity.
Conventional medicine proposes surgery.
This one has progressed enormously in last decades.
From applying stitches to peripheral part of this structure, there is even transplantation practiced in some clinics.
Conservative therapy, as proposed in my text, can be applied to most cases, and improve functional result.
Meniscus protection measures
The Step-Track:
An exercise that I described years ago, consisted in doing partial squats with the back leaning against a wall, and knees in flexion at 90°.
This should be executed on heels, rolling up the foot in the movement up, to train the calf muscles.
Bodyweight should be moved from one leg to the other, like walking.
If your meniscus lesion is fresh, you must do the Step-Track only on heels.
Walking:
In similar fashion, when promenading, bodyweight should be received on the heel, with Air-Walk shoes, and the foot rolled up on tiptoes in the movement up.
Tiptoe walking induces imbalances in the knee, which produce shearing forces and tear weak meniscus cicatrices.
Evolution has provided with time the heel with a special thick fat pad, which completes shock absorption together with the knee meniscus.
A similar fat pad in the forefoot is much thinner, and points to a more recent acquisition, or to lesser function.
Barefoot running should be practiced only on a soft surface, for instance grass.
For running on hard surfaces adapted shoes are available.
With a fresh meniscus tear the knee swells.
Crutches should not be used, as they prevent healing.
Air-Walk shoes are the best, but walking only on heels with a stretched knee helps tremendously.
Do not use the staircase, as climbing up and down tears again the forming scar.
Keep the knee stretched all the time at first and avoid bending it!
Walking this way is The Only Efficient Treatment, so you must do a lot of it.
If swelling and pain increase, do less!
With this regime the swelling will start diminishing after 3-4 days, and will be away in 1-2 weeks.
The injury completes its healing in 1-2 months, and you can start reeducation with the Step-Track after 2 months.
Do this one only on heels the first 5 months!
This process takes longer if a free fragment is present.
In such a situation you can consult the orthopedic surgeon, or apply my method for reduction, but last one needs a lot of feeling and if you are a novice would be difficult.
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