How to Treat Meniscus Tears and Why You Should Avoid Knee Surgery

Did you know that there are millions of individuals who walk around every day with meniscus tears and are completely asymptomatic (they feel no pain)?  Unfortunately, once pain is perceived and a meniscus tear is diagnosed most orthopedic surgeons will usually recommend arthroscopic knee surgery.   However, since knee surgery in patients over the age of 40 is often unsuccessful and it accelerates the arthritic process in the knee it should only be considered once all conservative measures have been exhausted.

There are several different types of meniscus tears and the location and size of the tear determines how it should be treated and whether the meniscus tear has the potential to respond to conservative care.

A meniscus tear is in one of these three zones:

Red Zone- The red zone is located in the outer one third of the meniscus.  This area has a rich blood supply therefore a meniscus tear in this region responds well to conservative care.  Many times a tear in this area will heal spontaneously if given a chance. The RICE method may be useful in this case.  (RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.)Sometimes, the tissue needs a ‘jumpstart’ or an extra ‘push’ so it can heal faster.  Therefore, cold laser therapy is a great option for individuals with this type of tear since it helps stimulate more blood flow, decreases pain, and inflammation in the area allowing the tissues to heal and repair faster.  Try to avoid arthroscopic knee surgery if you have a tear in this region.

Red/White Zone- This type of tear extends from the red zone (the outer one third) into the inner two thirds of the meniscus or the white zone.  The white zone is an area that has no blood supply.  Knee surgery may not work because the meniscus may not heal after the surgery is performed so conservative care should be considered first.  The goal for conservative care (ie cold laser therapy) with this type of tear is to help individuals get out of pain, and reduce swelling and keep them that way.

White Zone- Again the white zone is located in the inner two thirds of the meniscus. If you have a tear located in this zone this is a tricky area to treat because it is avascular.  This means there is no blood supply to the meniscus in this area. Due to the lack of blood supply a torn meniscus in this zone is unlikely to heal with ANY TYPE of treatment including arthroscopic knee surgery.  The goal with conservative care such as cold laser therapy is to help provide the individual with pain relief and decrease the inflammation in the knee joint.

In summary, many individuals have tears AND NEVER EVEN KNOW IT! So it is possible to be asymptomatic and still have a meniscus tear! Oftentimes individuals are scared into surgery by their doctors.  They’re told that if they don’t have knee surgery that they’ll eventually develop arthritis in the knee.

What do you think arthroscopic knee surgery does to your knee?!!

Knee surgery guarantees that you will develop arthritis, and the arthritic process will be accelerated.  It actually compounds the same problem (arthritis) your doctor told you would be avoided by undergoing knee surgery.  Furthermore, if the meniscus or meniscus tear is cut out or removed your knee joint is left with less of a cushion and shock absorber.

The bottom line is that after any injury or surgery, arthritis is likely to develop.  At least with conservative care the meniscus is left intact therefore the shock absorber (meniscus) isn’t removed.

Of course there are cases where knee surgery cannot be avoided; however, if possible give  your knee an opportunity to heal without knee surgery.  Many times conservative care will allow an individual to become asymptomatic, and depending on the type of tear and its location the tear may heal on its own. Try the RICE method. In addition, visit a doctor that specializes in treating the knee joint with cold laser therapy which may help your knee heal faster by increasing blood flow, decreasing pain, and reducing inflammation in the knee.

The following is a case study about a patient who chose Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program to treat his severe knee pain and swelling from a meniscus tear.

Recently, Mr. B. age 54, a television producer from Lewisville Texas came in to the DFW Spine & Joint Center complaining of severe knee pain and swelling in his left knee.  He rated his knee pain a 6-8 on a pain scale of 1-10.  His knee pain prevented him from walking without a limp and climbing stairs.  He even complained of knee pain while he was driving, and he could not sleep through the night without tossing and turning.  His MRI stated he had a medial meniscus tear in the red/white zone and severe arthritis.  He already had arthroscopic knee surgery for the same condition on the same knee the year prior. But Mr. B did not want to undergo knee surgery for a second time so instead he chose to complete Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program.

After completing treatments, Mr. B is now able to walk without any knee pain and is able to walk without a limp 90% of the time.  He has more stamina in standing positions and is now able to climb and descend stairs without experiencing knee pain.  According to Mr. B his knee feels 75-80% better than it did before starting knee treatments and most importantly he was able to avoid knee surgery.

If you want to find out if you’re a candidate for Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program, and live in the Dallas, Fort Worth or surrounding areas call our office at 214- 596-1051. Or if you would like more information about Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program fill out the form on the right side of this screen to get your FREE report mailed to you entitled, Amazing Cold Laser Therapy the Missing Link to Knee Pain Relief!

Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S.,D.C.,-Your Cold Laser Professional for the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas Area-“Helping People with Knee Pain and Joint Pain in the Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas since 2001.”

 Avoid Knee Surgery | Help Meniscus Tear Knee Pain with Cold Laser Therapy | Dallas-Fort Worth

Dr.Schnee, D.C discusses the benefits of her Cold laser therapy knee program, over Knee Surgery for Knee Pain Relief from a Torn Meniscus in the Knee. Dallas-Fort Worth.