Meniscus Tear
A meniscus tear often happens as a result of a sports injury. If the knee joint is bent and twisted, this can lead to a meniscus tear. Older people who have brittle cartilage can also suffer from a meniscus tear. The femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) are protected from impact by a tough cartilage covering called the menisci, one resting on the inside and one on the outside of your knee. This cartilage within the joint provides cushioning to protect the bones from the regular trauma of walking, running and other sports. Even a miniscule tear in the meniscus can cause pain, which is why the overall health of your knee relies heavily on functionality of the meniscus. Most people who have any kind of meniscus tear (partial or full thickness) end up getting surgery, but many end up regretting it because they are still left with pain and instability.

Diagnosis Most patients with meniscus tears come to the office having had x-rays or MRIs and are looking to avoid surgery or a repeat surgery. Anyone with a meniscus injury should seek a Prolotherapy consultation with an experienced Prolotherapy doctor such as Dr. Hauser prior to undergoing any surgical intervention! We cannot stress that enough! When Dr. Hauser examines a patient, a meniscus injury is suspected if the patient reports a "catching sensation" in the knee or if the knee must be "jiggled" to produce full range of motion. Articular cartilage injuries may exhibit similar symptoms and the patients may actually be facing both problems. But either way, they are both successfully treated here at Caring Medical!

Treatment
Contrary to popular belief, surgery does not have to be an option for your torn meniscus. In fact, our success rate with treating meniscus tears with Hackett-Hemwall Prolotherapy is outstanding, and we have published some of these results in a remarkable study showing how patients with meniscus tears avoided surgery. The Hackett-Hemwall method of Prolotherapy treats the entire area – injecting not only the torn meniscus, but the surrounding weakened ligaments/tendons that most likely lead to the joint instability that lead to the tear in the first place. We also practice what we call comprehensive Prolotherapy at Caring Medical, meaning we individualize the Prolotherapy solution to the patients’ individual needs. In the case of meniscus tears, sometimes a stronger proliferating solution is required, including the use of HGH (human growth hormone), PRP (platelet rich plasma), or even possibly bone marrow stem cell injections, depending on the severity of the injury.

Thus, it is our opinion that the best approach to treating meniscus tears is to stimulate meniscus repair with Prolotherapy. Unlike the traditional modern medicine approach, Prolotherapy heals the meniscus because it stimulates fibroblastic growth of new, stronger meniscus tissue, thereby repairing the area. In simple terms, Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It does so by inducing a mild inflammatory reaction in the weakened ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Since the body heals by inflammation, Prolotherapy stimulates healing.

At Caring Medical we have published numerous articles and scientific editorial papers on the negative long term effects of knee surgery, particularly where any tissue is removed, such as a meniscectomy. Unfortunately many patients come to us after they have had an arthroscopy for the torn meniscus, thinking that the orthopedist was just going to “clean things up” when in reality, not only were things “cleaned up” but they were also removed, thus leaving the patients with weak, unstable joints that soon after surgery develop pain! Performing Hackett-Hemwall Prolotherapy injections full time since 1993, Dr. Hauser has seen our approach provide an excellent alternative to knee surgery with long term results that do not require continued care or possible revisions, the same way surgery can.
 

Click here to read Dr. Hauser's article published in the Journal of Prolotherapy, called "The Case for Utilizing Prolotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Meniscal Pathology. A Retrospective Study Shows Prolotherapy is Effective in the Treatment of MRI-Documented Meniscal Tears and Degeneration" This ground breaking article gives insight as to how Prolotherapy is a better option for treating your meniscus injury.

Prevention If you sustained a meniscus tear and you have not treated it or you received surgery, you are more likely to have further complications such as accelerated degeneration and arthritis in the future. First, come to see Dr. Hauser for Prolotherapy in order to stabilize and repair the knee forever. Second, be careful with the activities that you do and be cognoscente of proper technique in all that you do, such as using proper lifting, turning, and running form. Remember that movement nourishes the body, so don’t just sit on the couch and hope your knees are nourished. Start with walking, elliptical, swimming, and cycling to build up your strength. Treat your knees right and you will enjoy years of pain free mobility!