Knee

What It Is

Line drawing of the top of the shin bone seen from above, showing the two C-shaped menisci sitting on its surface with the ligament attachments between them. — The two menisci sit on top of the shin bone like a pair of cushions, one on each side of the knee.

Line drawing of the knee from the side, showing the thigh bone, kneecap and shin bone with the wedge-shaped edges of the menisci between the two bones, and an arrow showing the lower leg swinging back as the knee bends. — Seen from the side, the menisci fill the gap between the thigh bone and shin bone — which is why a tear can make bending the knee hard.

A torn meniscus is one of the most common knee injuries (AAOS, n.d.). Any activity that makes you forcefully twist or rotate the knee, especially when you have all of your weight on it, can lead to a meniscus tear. In each knee you have two menisci, which are C-shaped pieces of cartilage that act as cushions or shock absorbers between the thighbone and the shinbone (AAOS, n.d.; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.). When the meniscus tears, it can cause pain, swelling, stiffness and reduced movement. The knee might catch or lock, or feel unstable, as if it is going to give way (AAOS, n.d.; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).

Any activity that makes you rotate or twist the knee forcefully can tear the meniscus, such as suddenly stopping and turning, or pivoting aggressively. Deep squatting, kneeling or lifting a heavy object can also lead to a tear. Many torn menisci happen during sport (AAOS, n.d.). It's rare to tear both at the same time; usually it is just the medial (inside) or lateral (outside) meniscus.

But a torn meniscus is not always caused by an obvious injury. As we get older, the meniscus becomes worn, and a degenerative tear can happen with relatively little force, such as an awkward twist when getting up from a chair (AAOS, n.d.). These tears are common in people over 40 (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.). Many people with a degenerative tear have mild symptoms or none at all, and a tear seen on a scan is not always the cause of a person's pain (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).

Meniscus Tear Anatomy

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex joints in the body. It joins the shin bone and thigh bone together.

The smaller bone running alongside the tibia (the fibula) and the kneecap are the two other bones that make up the knee area. Tendons connect the leg muscles to the knee bones so the joint can move. Ligaments join the knee bones together and give the knee stability.

The anterior cruciate ligament is the one that prevents the femur from sliding backward on the tibia. The medial and lateral collateral ligaments stop the femur sliding from one side to the other. The posterior cruciate ligament prevents the femur from sliding forward on the tibia.

There are two menisci, the medial and the lateral. They are C-shaped and act as cushions. They absorb force and help to protect the bones of the knee joint (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.). When a doctor or consultant surgeon describes your injury, they might refer to it as torn cartilage, a commonly used term for a torn meniscus (AAOS, n.d.).

When trauma to the knee is very significant, it might not just be the meniscus that tears. Meniscus tears often happen together with an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear (AAOS, n.d.), and sometimes an MCL (medial collateral ligament) tear.

Meniscus tears come in many different sizes and types. Common types include bucket handle, flap and radial tears, and tears are also described by where in the meniscus they happen (AAOS, n.d.). Treatment depends on the size and type of tear, the symptoms it causes and the general condition of the knee (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).

The meniscus has a poor blood supply, so it does not heal very well, particularly if it is generally worn. Only the outer third has a good blood supply. Small tears on the outer edge may heal over time, and may take 2 to 3 months to heal fully, while larger tears, or tears closer to the centre, do not tend to heal (AAOS, n.d.; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.). However, once the initial pain and swelling settle, most meniscal tears cause only mild symptoms (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat a Meniscus Tear

Many people with meniscal tears benefit from exercises to improve the strength and condition of the knee, and in the longer term most people treated without surgery do just as well as people who had surgery (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.). I can guide you through exercises to regain the bend and strength in your knee, with hands-on work for the leg, and if your knee locks or gives way I'll ask you to see a doctor first. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

1. Ice

Ice can help to reduce swelling and pain in the knee. Use a cold pack for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, wrapped in a thin towel. Never apply ice directly to the skin (AAOS, n.d.).

2. Compression and Elevation

A stretch (elastic compression) bandage and raising your leg can help to control swelling (AAOS, n.d.; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).

3. Medication

AAOS (n.d.) says anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen help reduce the pain and swelling of a meniscus tear. Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (n.d.) says your family doctor or nurse practitioner may recommend taking pain relief as a short course, and that anti-inflammatory gels can also be tried. (This medicine information comes from AAOS and Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, not from me. Always check with a pharmacist or your family doctor or nurse practitioner before taking any medicine.)

4. Rest and Reduce Weight Bearing

Avoid activities that make the pain in your knee worse, especially anything that might make you twist the knee. When you first injure your knee, rest it for 1 to 2 days, using crutches if needed (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.; AAOS, n.d.). After this, it is important to get active again as quickly as possible to stop the knee becoming weak and stiff (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Options outside my scope

Surgery (knee arthroscopy): keyhole surgery to trim away the torn part of the meniscus or stitch the tear may be considered if you have a large tear with severe symptoms, such as locking and giving way, or symptoms that continue despite other treatment (AAOS, n.d.; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.). Surgery is not always successful, especially for degenerative tears in older people with arthritis in the knee (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.), and a BMJ guideline strongly recommends against arthroscopic surgery for nearly all people with degenerative knee disease, including degenerative meniscal tears (Siemieniuk et al., 2017). Removing part or all of the meniscus is also thought to make the remaining cartilage in the knee wear more quickly (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).
Steroid injection: sometimes offered alongside physiotherapy for short-term pain relief (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).
MRI scan: a scan can confirm a tear, but is usually only needed if you have severe pain, locking or giving way, or surgery is being considered (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).

How I can help (see the My Approach tab)

Exercises to regain the bend and strength in your knee
Hands-on work for the thigh, hamstrings, calf and hip
A gradual return to sport and activity
Rehabilitation after surgery, once your surgeon gives the okay

Tips

Exercises to improve knee flexion and strengthen the muscles in the leg can help to protect and stabilise the joint.
Begin activities and exercise programmes slowly, and increase the intensity gradually.
If you are taking part in any recreational sports, make sure you have the proper protective gear and use the proper form.
Athletes, particularly those who play contact sports such as football, are prone to this injury (AAOS, n.d.; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).
If you have a dropped arch or poor foot mechanics, I can help you work out whether shoe inserts or arch supports might help and how to get them, and point you to a chiropodist or podiatrist if you need custom orthotics.
As you grow older, the risk of tearing your meniscus increases because the tissue becomes worn (AAOS, n.d.).

Treatment

My Approach

A meniscus tear sits too deep inside the knee to reach with my hands, so my work is on everything around it: easing swelling and stiffness, and building strength in your thigh, hip and calf. My aim is to get your knee bending, straightening and taking load again.

If your symptoms are mild, such as a worn (degenerative) or small tear where your knee still bends, straightens and takes your weight, I can treat it directly. If your knee locks, keeps giving way, won't straighten, or swelled up quickly after a twisting injury, please see a doctor first; a locked knee shouldn't be forced. After that, I provide supportive care that fits your medical team's plan, with your surgeon's okay first if you've had surgery.

I start by assessing how your knee moves, how it copes with squatting, steps and walking, and the strength of your thigh, hip and calf.

Early On

Gentle work above the knee to help swelling drain, with your leg raised
Easing your hips, back and other leg, and crutches for the first few days if you need them
Gentle kneecap mobilisation and slow, pain-free bending and straightening
Thigh tightening and straight-leg raises, and I'll show you how to use ice safely at home

As It Settles

Hands-on work for the thigh, hamstrings and calf, with warm or cool applications in the clinic
Squats in a comfortable range, step-ups, stationary cycling and balance work, with a home programme between visits
Holding off on deep squats, kneeling and twisting until your knee is ready
Later, gym work such as split squats and Romanian deadlifts, then running, turning and landing drills, built up gradually

After surgery, I follow your surgeon's limits on weight-bearing, bending and twisting, which are much stricter after a repair than after a trim, and add scar work once the wounds have healed. If your knee keeps locking, giving way or swelling up as you do more, see your doctor.

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: For a mild tear, most people come once or twice a week at first, then weekly, with a reassessment at about 4 to 6 weeks, then less often. Small tears on the outer edge usually heal within about 2 to 3 months, and with larger tears the pain and swelling usually settle to mild symptoms with exercise. After medical care or surgery, visits follow your medical team's plan, and recovery after a repair is much slower, usually several months.

What I Focus On

Assessment

Swelling Control

Knee Mobility

Thigh & Hip Strength

Return to Activity

Sources

References

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (n.d.) Meniscus tears. OrthoInfo. Available at: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/meniscus-tears/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (n.d.) Meniscal tears: information for patients. Available at: https://sfh-tr.nhs.uk/media/dt2cnqbl/kmh_000689_msk_meniscal-tears_leaflet-v4ea_a5_2020.pdf (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Siemieniuk, R.A.C., Harris, I.A., Agoritsas, T. et al. (2017) 'Arthroscopic surgery for degenerative knee arthritis and meniscal tears: a clinical practice guideline', BMJ, 357, j1982. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j1982

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooMeniscus Tear

What It Is

Meniscus Tear Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat a Meniscus Tear

1. Ice

2. Compression and Elevation

3. Medication

4. Rest and Reduce Weight Bearing

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Early On

As It Settles

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooMeniscus Tear

What It Is

Meniscus Tear Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat a Meniscus Tear

1. Ice

2. Compression and Elevation

3. Medication

4. Rest and Reduce Weight Bearing

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Early On

As It Settles

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Knee Osteoarthritis

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries

Book a session