The cartilage in your knee, especially the meniscus, can tear and be extremely painful. It can also severely restrict your movement. Trust me. I went through it. The recovery from my injury and the restoration of my knee function was quicker after observing strict adherence to every instruction my doctor gave. Fortunately, I only had tiny tears on my meniscus that healed themselves. On the other hand, there are other patients requiring corrective surgery. In any case, appropriately approaching your healing can guarantee the success of your recovery.
Here are a few recovery tips, aside from the RICE method, I would like to share with other patients suffering from a meniscus tear in Singapore.
#1 Avoid Constantly Removing Your Brace
Whether you underwent surgery for your knee to repair the meniscus tear or not, you will most likely be wearing a bandage and a brace. My doctor constantly reminds me that the compression bandage and knee brace are critical for keeping the knee stable. Only remove the compression bandages when you need to. If you underwent surgery, consult your orthopedic doctor at the clinic in Singapore before removing the brace and bandage.
#2 Use Crutches
Expect to use crutches for walking assistance for approximately one month, whether you get surgery or not. My orthopedic doctor at the Singapore clinic told me it is imperative to keep off my busted knee for better recovery. It is crucial to use correctly fitted crutches to relieve the strain on the knee to facilitate rehabilitation. I waited for my doctor and therapist to give me an okay before I began refraining from using my crutches.
#3 Go Easy on Your Knees
Most people who bust their knee with a meniscus tear are athletes, and the inactivity can be frustrating. I know. Take it from someone who got injured while playing football. However, it takes time and patience to recover. It also took me immense energy to allow my knee to heal. Trying to rush back to our previous hobbies might cause us to fall behind or cause our injury to worsen. I suggest trying to unwind and allow your body to focus energies on repairing your knee.
#4 Attend Rehab Religiously
If you were like me, you also dreaded attending rehab or skipping it and returning to normal. Yet, it is not an option. Physical therapy will help increase the range of motion in your knee as you heal. You will learn at your physical therapy visits how to do appropriate exercises to strengthen your knee after recovering from a meniscus tear. These workouts are one of the most crucial aspects of the rehabilitation process. So keep to the plan and pay close attention to whatever your therapist says.
The Advanced Orthopaedic and Sports Centre is a specialised sports medicine and orthopaedic clinic which helped me recover from various injuries. They also provide joint preservation and repair services, such as surgery for labral and slap tear injuries. Many patients also visit their well-equipped facility for various replacement procedures, like total hip arthroplasty. Visit Advanced Orthopaedic and Sports Centre’s website for further information about their personnel and services.