Preventing Meniscus Injuries

Treating meniscus injuries properly is important but preventing the injury in the first place and/or preventing re-injury should be your priority. There are a number of things you can do to keep your knees and menisci healthy and prevent further damage.

Maintain a strong, flexible knee

To stabilize your knee joint and increase your range of motion, maintain and build the strength and flexibility of your quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles and hip flexors. Strengthening and stretching exercises will help to keep your knee strong and supple to reduce the risk of injury. In addition, balancing exercises will help retrain your position or "joint sense". A regular exercise program that focuses on total body fitness and includes low-impact aerobic activity such as walking, swimming or biking will also strengthen your knee and keep you healthy overall.

Always warm up

Your body is less prone to injury during exercise when your heart, muscles and joints are gently warmed ahead of time. To protect your knees, warm up and cool down your leg muscles before and after working them, and learn the proper form and techniques for your activity. You can use the Inferno Wrap or ultrasound therapy prior to activity to help warm up the deep tissue.

Use proper equipment

Invest in footwear that fit properly and is suitable for your activities or sports. Cushioning in the shoes will help to keep your knees stable during activity and reduce some of the impact. If your knee is weak or unstable, a knee brace, strapping or taping can provide extra support. If you are kneeling, wearing knee padding will help protect your joint from damage.

Avoid activities that cause pain

If you are experiencing knee pain during any activity, stop and see a doctor to find out why. Listen to your body and decrease, modify and/or avoid any activities or motions that cause pain and irritation (twisting, squatting, kneeling, jumping, heavy lifting, climbing and running, walking on uneven terrain). If you are required to perform these motions at work or play and cannot avoid them, make sure you take frequent breaks and rest your knees to prevent fatigue.

Avoid too much too soon

Following a knee injury, give your body an opportunity to build up its endurance. Progress through exercises gradually and work slowly when increasing the load or intensity. Allow your body adequate time to recover after exercise to repair any soft tissue damage that may have occurred. You can use an Inferno Wrap or ultrasound therapy for more complete and faster repair.

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