NYC Torn Meniscus Knee Pain Specialist Doctors

At Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates you’ll get the torn meniscus diagnosis, knee pain management, and medical care you need to reduce or eliminate your torn meniscus knee pain. Because when you’re in knee pain — whether it’s from a sports injury, accident, age or ailment — you want pain relief. And appropriate and targeted treatment starts with a diagnosis.

Within each knee joint, two C-shaped bands of cartilage sit between the two weight-bearing bones: the femur in your thigh and the tibia in your shin. This cartilage is called the meniscus. While most cartilage in your body is hard and brittle, your meniscus is tough and somewhat elastic. Its function is to keep the bones from rubbing against each other and to cushion the jolts your knees often endure.

Tearing either meniscus in either knee — remember, each knee has two to cradle the joint — is usually a painful event. The injury most often occurs when you twist or rotate your knee under stress, often with your full weight on it. A torn meniscus is a fairly common injury for NYC athletes who play sports like basketball and tennis, both of which require a lot of quick stops and full-speed cuts. But you can tear a meniscus by squatting, lifting or just kneeling.

What a Torn Meniscus Feels Like

The meniscus cartilage doesn’t contain any nerves, but the surrounding tissue does. When you tear your meniscus, it irritates that tissue, which causes the pain. A torn meniscus in either knee — whether partially, completely or internally, as in a bucket handle tear — causes immediate pain and swelling in the knee. The joint will stiffen to the point that you may have difficulty straightening your leg. Other symptoms may include:

• Your knee becomes tender and sensitive, especially if it’s swollen.
• Your knee pops when you flex it.
• You can’t move your knee because it tends to get stuck in one place.

With a torn meniscus, your knee becomes a lot less stable, in addition to painful and tender. You likely won’t be able to put your full weight on the knee. Furthermore, it’s more likely that you’ll develop osteoarthritis in the affected joint in the future.

Who’s at Risk

While it’s obviously an injury suffered primarily by active individuals, it strikes older New Yorkers, too. The older you get, the more likely you’ll tear your meniscus if you try to remain active or push yourself too hard. The abuse your knees took when you were younger has weakened the meniscus; one wrong step or awkward twist could tear one.

If your knee starts to swell, you can wrap it in ice and take over-the-counter NSAIDs (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) for the pain, but that’s just a temporary solution. If you’ve torn your meniscus, it could take four to five weeks before your pain subsides. If you think you’ve torn a meniscus, schedule an appointment with a pain management doctor in Manhattan.

Pain Relief at Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates

A pain expert like the doctors at Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates know how to get to the bottom of your pain. Your doctor will examine you and ask the right questions. If necessary, they’ll take X-rays, ultrasound or an MRI. Once a diagnosis of a torn meniscus is confirmed, you can get the proper treatment.

Weeks of rest and pain relieving medications can sometimes be enough to heal your meniscus, but you’ll still have to take it easy for a couple months. If your tear is bad enough, you may have to undergo arthroscopic surgery, but that’s rare. Once you’re well enough to walk on it, your doctor often will prescribe physical therapy to strengthen the leg muscles and improve the knee’s stability.

Get the Torn Menisus Relief You Need

Your NYC pain management doctor’s goal is to get you back to to your normal routine with the best possible are and minimal downtime. After your diagnosis is confirmed, your doctor begins your treatment plan with the most conservative pain relief treatment. You’ll always receive non-invasive pain relief before your doctor turns to more invasive procedures like surgery.

Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates
51 East 25th St, 4th Floor, Ste B
New York, NY 10010
(212) 533-3954