After 40 years as a distance runner and enough miles to circle the globe twice (really) with no major health issues I recently added pickle ball (kinda like tennis) and now according to an MRI I have at least three tears to the meniscus in my right knee.

I had tried cortisone shots which did nothing before having the MRI and now have an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon next week. I'm sure he will recommend surgery as thats what they get paid for. I have not stopped running but have cut back on the daily miles some since it is part of my lifestyle just like a daily fine cigar or two.

If any of you brothers have experiences with torn meniscus and either had surgery or used alternate methods to heal I would appreciate your thoughts.

Damn Rick that sucks, no help here but wish you all the Best going forward with this.

Paul

GOT to post this treasure

http://www.cigarbid.com/Forum/c/posts/m/4108300/Another-yearanother-injury#post4108300 

Nothing torn I don't think but I just got x-ray'd last week and discovered my knees were bone on bone.. got a couple shots but he said it was just a matter of time.. 😞

Sure hope they can fix you Rick.. 😟

I've had meniscus strains (maybe micro tears) and it hurt like hell.

When I was salmon fishing it felt like I got hit by sniper fire in my knee, ortho said MRI, and the first part ^ is what he said to me. Only thing to do for me was limit activities and long standing periods. No surgery.

Good luck they suck.

I tore ( and I mean TORE, NO **** micro rips or partials with burrs) my meniscus
way back in late 84-85?
Before MRI's ( were invented) or were only used on regular patients with $$$ Super expensive health policies...I was a graduate student on a college health policy....

It was painful as hell, the doctor ordered like
THREE weeks of solid rest then very slow therapy.
He said you'll never run again, but you'll be able to
Walk and ride a bike, but if you try and run again?
Forget the previous two I mentioned...

My question to you?
WHY THE **** ARE YOU STILL RUNNING?
That's the stupidest thing you can do,
Ride bike, treadmill, walk...whatever...

BUT STOP RUNNING TILL IT HEALS OR THEY FIGURE OUT THE BEST TREATMENT FOR YOU.

I tore ( and I mean TORE, NO **** micro rips or partials with burrs) my meniscus
way back in late 84-85?
Before MRI's ( were invented) or were only used on regular patients with $$$ Super expensive health policies...I was a graduate student on a college health policy....

It was painful as hell, the doctor ordered like
THREE weeks of solid rest then very slow therapy.
He said you'll never run again, but you'll be able to
Walk and ride a bike, but if you try and run again?
Forget the previous two I mentioned...

My question to you?
WHY THE **** ARE YOU STILL RUNNING?
That's the stupidest thing you can do,
Ride bike, treadmill, walk...whatever...

BUT STOP RUNNING TILL IT HEALS OR THEY FIGURE OUT THE BEST TREATMENT FOR YOU.

***** = *****

Oh yea,
Try running in a jungle,
Carrying a wounded soldier in a pancho,
Those damn MORPHINE TUBES with needles
Cure anything when the **** hits the fan....
Problem is the C-130 ride home after the extraction.

Gotta love the "Graduate School Cover Status"
on paper... 🙂 🙂 🙂

I have had my right knee replaced because the meniscus was worn and torn. It was caused by thirty years of running and tennis. I first developed chondromalacia in the knees after 6-7 years of running. Went to see the orthopedic doctors and they said I should quit running and tennis. Part of my problem was that my patellas are congenitally off track, they are rotated a few degrees towards the outside of the knees.

I used ice, heat and knee braces, including those with metal structures designed to reduce the load on the joint. They helped with tennis, but not with running. I eventually gave up running: it was too painful. Continued playing tennis until that became too painful. The pain kept me awake sometimes and I was taking large daily doses of tylenol, naproxen and ibuprofin. Not good for kidneys and liver.

Went to see the Kaiser docs, and they suggested I quit tennis as well as running, and take supplements, chondroitin and glucosamine. After two years, no improvement. Still played tennis, just not as often, and the pain kept up.

I went back to Kaiser orthopedics, and they recommended synvisc shots to lubricate the joints, every three months for a few years, then steroids/cortisone shots. If that regimen didn't help the pain, then arthroscopic surgery. The last resort would be knee replacement surgery. Then the pain escalated, mostly in the right knee, lesser pain in left. Couldn't walk long distances or play tennis without severe pain.

Decided to see a non-Kaiser ortho/knee specialist. He took MRIs and discovered both meniscuses were worn to less than half the usual thickness and had micro fractures throughout. No cartilage under the patella on the right knee and only a little on the left. He suggested immediate knee replacement for my right knee, and monitor my left knee. He gave me a cortisone shot in the right knee and it did relieve the pain for the two months before surgery.

After knee replacement, major improvement in pain and mobility. I am able to walk 6-7 miles at a time without pain, just fatigue.No tennis, except an occasional light game of doubles. No singles tennis, no running or any athletic activities involving running, jumping, sudden stopping and starting. Doctor suggested I take up golf, biking and swimming. Left knee is still OK, since I quit tennis. I ride a bicycle for 35-40 miles occasionally, without pain.

So the only pain relief for me was the cortisone shot. I was able to walk pain-free for two months of pre-surgery fitness. A friend of mine tried the synvisc (artificial cartilage like lubricant) and it didn't help him.

Good luck, DED.

I had same problem Drafter.........the shots did nothing for me. I had 1st knee replaced in 2008, and 2nd one done in 2012. While they we're doing 1st knee it was discovered I had torn ACL,MCL, and torn meniscus, so they fixed it all up while they were in there.
In 2008 I was 48 years old, and insurance does not like to cover knee replacements if your under 50, so they made me go through every procedure known to man, lol, before my Dr. finally let them know that I was bone on bone, and the only fix was total replacement. Apparently Insurance doesn't like to do it before age 50 because they wear out in about 15-20 years and they want to minimize chances of having to cover it twice.
My advice to anyone who asks is get it done......life is so much better when walking doesn't hurt like hell.

I noticed no difference with the cortisone shots. My reg doc said the next step would be what he called "rooster juice" which is a lubricant maybe same as synvac? Once he saw the MRI he said that would be of little help. The next step according to him is the newer stem cell therapy but it is not covered by insurance at this point and is very expensive. The last resort is total knee replacement.

I continue to run because that is who I am but if the docs tell me that I will never heal unless I stop all impact activities then I will switch to other activities like bike riding which I have done for distance also over the years. Been awhile since I have done any century rides but still have the bikes hanging in the garage. Probably drown if I tried distance swimming.

Good luck Rick. I'm facing a similar decision. I've got basal arthritis in both thumbs. The cartilage in both thumbs are completely gone as I'm at the bone to bone state in both. I've got 3 options )1 suck it up, 2) take Meloxicam for the rest of my life which in of itself raises my risk of stroke on top of the blockage issue, or 3) have surgery on my thumbs to take tendons and create padding between the bones.

I had forgotten that bassman had meniscus surgery. Need to hear that outcome.

They used the SYNVISC? on me,a really thick substance like honey,but had very little positive effect on me......YMMV

If I'd known getting fat would do this to me I wouldn't have done it... 😞

Thanks Obama..!! 😠

Heal up quickly Rick. I've seen some people playing pickle ball where I play tennis. It does have the same quick stop and starts as tennis so I can see how this can happen. Get well soon. 🌫

Or you could go split some wood......

He still runs to stay ahead of the SSG.


And who is this Meniscus dude anyway? Why do we care about his tears? He needs to get over it; the election is settled.

That sucks, sorry to hear that!