Lateral Meniscus Pain

[Herk_Man]

Right now the pain is about a 3-4 after about 3 miles of running. I could keep going if I wanted to but it's annoying. I've only been resting it for about 3 days now. Full squat brings zero pain and I can do anything I want without irritating it. Been applying a heat compress for about 30 minutes twice a day.

How long do you think before a test run and what kind of exercises can I do to strengthen it so it doesn't happen again. I have a good set of weight machines at home I can use.

[iphysio]

Hi Herk. I would rest for at least one week then try running again. If your knee pain comes on then you should stop and ice it immediately for 20 mins. For now you can try wall squats 3-4 sets of 30-90 secs hold 3 times a day, bending up to 90 degrees at knee joint (prefer longer than 90 secs hold). I prefer you perform "isometric" type of strengthening while you resting. "Isometric" type of exercises are strengthening exercises without moving your joints. Please google it. Hope you get better soon Herk!

[Herk_Man]

Thanks! I'll give that a try. It kind of falls in line with what I was thinking except I wouldn't have thought of the isometrics.

One other question. Should I continue with any kind of ice/heat regimen? And will wearing a knee support sleeve help at all? (Ok, that was two questions.)

Hi Herk. I would rest for at least one week then try running again. If your knee pain comes on then you should stop and ice it immediately for 20 mins. For now you can try wall squats 3-4 sets of 30-90 secs hold 3 times a day, bending up to 90 degrees at knee joint (prefer longer than 90 secs hold). I prefer you perform "isometric" type of strengthening while you resting. "Isometric" type of exercises are strengthening exercises without moving your joints. Please google it. Hope you get better soon Herk!

[marj]

Thanks! I'll give that a try. It kind of falls in line with what I was thinking except I wouldn't have thought of the isometrics.

One other question. Should I continue with any kind of ice/heat regimen? And will wearing a knee support sleeve help at all? (Ok, that was two questions.)

How do you know it's the meniscus and not ITB?
You should see a physio and get them to diagnose it as well as assess your muscle balance and advise you if you need to add any strength, flexibility and or motor control exercises. Running will definitely make a meniscus problem worse or delay recovery. I'm resting my own. Make sure you are doing equivalent time pool running, cycling elliptical machine etc to maintain your fitness. Good luck. A knee support won't help meniscus but there are bands that you can wear for your ITB.
You might also benefit from US,TENS, laser etc.