Lateral Meniscus Tear

I was playing competitive basketball last week, against younger guys of course, and we were winning, until I had a freak fall. I’m very coordinated so not sure what happenned went up for a block and came down on my right toes, my bodyweight went one way, my knee twisted as I had yet to get my full foot on the floor, felt a slight pop and I was immediately on the floor. No one thought it was serious because I’m an iron man and not one to get hurt. They carried my off the floor, but the idiot I am I tried to reenter the game as we were behind and help mount a second half comeback. That lasted all of me running down the court when I noticed I couldn’t cut real well.

I immediately started icing the injury and the next day was diagnosed with a lateral meniscus tear. Spent the weekend on my back icing and elevating the leg. Never had an injury like this, but worry I will not be able to match my previous ass-kicking self. I am 30 so now maybe a good time to look at all activities. I plan on tearing it up in the future, so for now I am being real conservative with it, using crutches, as I can only take a half-step at this point. Been getting treatment from a chiropractor that deals with bullriders in the form of electro-muscle stimulation around the knee, laser, and some form of acupuncture to reduce swelling and help promote healing. The injury was a week ago today and I think its slowly getting better, or I’m slowly getting used to it.

I’m hoping it is a tear in the red zone where there is a small blood supply, as I’m hoping to avoid surgery. Next week I’m planning on doing some walks in the pool and maybe some stationary bike. Eventually I plan on hitting the Nautilus machines for upper-body before I start hitting the free weights again, but am abstaining from training to keep my energy for healing purposes. I realize I’m going to be out for couple months possibly, so thought I would vent my story out of frustration. I’m going to have to some rehab, but I don’t want to lose my athletic ability and strength I’ve worked hard to obtain. At this point, I’m hoping to go the non-surgery route and use conservative treament. Has anyone else been through this or have any input. Thanks in advance, for the time being I’m sporting crutches, that can be a nice upperbody workout, and a stylish knee brace.

I tore the meniscus in my left knee over 2 years ago. My tear was not in the red zone and the tear was limiting range of motion in my knee. I had surgery and did physical therapy afterwards twice for 5 weeks. I worked my way back to good as new in a few months.

Are you going to get an MRI?

Update, saw another doctor today who thinks I have a Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain. He doesn’t think I need an MRI because it seems to be improving slowly. I have a half-step now, and have been rehabbing it on the bike and in the pool with some exercises. It will have been 3 weeks on Thursday and I’m just getting around to getting around without a cane, I was on crutches the first week.

What I don’t get is he thinks its grade 1 sprain, which is good that there is limited damage, but I didn’t think a grade I would put me out 6-7 weeks, he thinks I’ll be good to go in another 3-4 weeks. I prescribed some prescription strength Aleve to alleviate the remaining swelling, which is minimal at this point.

I guess I’m revving to go, but am putting just as much enthusiasm into my rehab routine as my regular routine. 2 days of swimming/rehab exercises, 2 days on the stationary bike, and 2 days of land rehab exercises and stretching. Hopefully I’ll be back to cautiously new in a month, but at this point I’m looking at the silver lining and consider myself lucky it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.