Meniscus tears in the knee can be very painful. Also known as a cartilage tear, a meniscus tear often occurs from a forceful twisting motion or rotation of the knee. These tears are common in athletes, but can happen to anyone. The meniscus, a C-shaped piece of cartilage, acts as a cushion between the tibia and femur, with each knee containing two menisci.
Most tears get better with ice, rest, and OTC medication, and perhaps some physical therapy to strengthen the leg muscles that are around the knee. If pain or stiffness persist, surgery may be recommended. However, surgery isn’t the only solution to pain. Meniscus tears can be treated with platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy, a minimally invasive procedure that can reduce downtime and improve recovery time without sacrificing comfort. This is a natural treatment created from your own blood that is designed to promote healing.
Benefits of Using PRP Therapy for Meniscus Tears
If you have recently suffered a meniscus tear, whether through sports activity or just an awkward fall, you may be considering a minimally invasive approach to healing that will help you recover quickly. Here are some of the benefits of PRP for meniscus tears.
Minimally Invasive
PRP injection isn’t a surgical procedure, but rather is a minimally invasive procedure that greatly reduces downtime, improves recovery time, and doesn’t compromise comfort levels. Surgery comes with long, painful recovery times and often involves the use of potentially addictive opioids.
Natural Alternative
PRP therapy is a natural treatment that is created from a sample of your own blood to promote healing. Because it treats the root cause of your problem, this method can reduce pain and inflammation.
Prompts Healing
When soft tissues are injured (think ligaments and cartilage), they can take a while to heal due to the limited blood flow to the affected area. PRP therapy acts as a reinforcement agent by encouraging blood flow, strengthening the soft tissues, and speeding up healing times.
Addresses Aging Concerns
Elderly people cannot easily handle invasive treatments like surgery, as well as the long recovery times that come with meniscus tears. PRP treatment does away with the need for surgery, protecting the injured parts, and hastening the body’s own healing response.
Quicker Return to Sports
Meniscus tears are common among young athletes, particularly those in contact sports such as football and volleyball, and carry a mean annual incidence of 60 to 70 per 100,000, according to the National Library of Medicine. Meniscal injuries are some of the most frequently encountered and treated conditions within the knee joint, responsible for functional and clinical impairment that comes with a high annual cost. With PRP, athletes can return to play much more quickly than if they underwent surgery.
Traditional Treatments
The traditional way to treat a meniscus tear is to follow the R.I.C.E. method:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
This is usually enough to heal a meniscus tear, although some physical therapy may be necessary. In more severe cases,surgery is often recommended, but as said above, it comes with long recovery times and the use of opioids for pain relief. Some patients benefit from corticosteroid injections for inflammation, but this synthetic steroid has been known to suppress the immune system.
However, studies reveal that PRP is a safe alternative therapy utilizing the natural healing ability of the body to repair knee damage.
Contact Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine
If you have recently suffered a meniscus tear, schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our pain specialists to learn more about how PRP therapy can promote healing from within.