How to return to playing football after a meniscus injury?

Question

Hello doctor,

I recently got my injury checked, and they said I had a meniscus injury. For the first four weeks, I could not straighten my leg at all. After four weeks, I regained my full range of motion. However, when crouching down, I feel a pinch behind my knee. They advised me to do physiotherapy at home, but a few hours after the exercises, my knee felt really hot and slightly swollen. The swelling subsides by the next day. Is this normal? I am now 10 weeks into the injury. It is definitely improving, but I still feel a bit nervous walking around corners. That said, my knee feels stable and does not lock up. Have you had any patients return to football after a meniscus injury? I am worried. Is time the best healer in this situation? It does not hurt when walking, but sometimes it feels stiff, and I need to ease it off after sitting with my leg bent for a while.

Kindly advise!

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to iCliniq.

I understand your concern.

The first step is to determine whether your meniscus injury is a partial or full tear. If it is a partial tear, it typically takes around four to eight weeks of complete rest, along with prescribed medications, to aid healing. However, if it is a full tear, it may not heal properly, and you might experience persistent pain and discomfort during certain movements. To confirm the status of your injury, I recommend getting a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. If the injury has significantly improved, ultrasound therapy and consistent physiotherapy exercises over eight to ten weeks should help you recover and return to normal activities.

However, if the injury has not healed properly, surgical intervention may be necessary, as advised by an orthopedic specialist. Since you are still experiencing discomfort, I suggest visiting a physiotherapist for a 10-day ultrasound therapy session. If you continue to feel instability or pain while making corner movements, I recommend proceeding with an MRI and consulting again for further evaluation.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at iCliniq.

Thank you.