Meniscus Tear: How Chiropractic Treatment and Exercises Can Help

A meniscus tear is one of the most common knee injuries. Each knee has two menisci – one at the inner edge and the other at the outer edge of your knee. The meniscus is a C-shaped, rubbery, and tough disc that acts as a shock absorber and keeps your knee steady by balancing the weight of your body across the knee. A torn meniscus prevents your knee from working correctly and leads to accelerated wear of your joint.

Symptoms of Meniscus Tear

The symptoms of a torn meniscus can vary depending on the location and size of the tear. You may experience the following symptoms:

• Knee pain at the center or the side
• Swelling and stiffness
• Pain when twisting or rotating your knee
• Increased pain while lifting, squatting, or rising from a seated position
• Popping sensation, or “wobbly” unstable feeling
• Difficulty in fully straightening the knee
• Feeling that your knee is locked in place

Causes of a Torn Meniscus

A torn meniscus usually occurs due to any of the following:

• Sudden twisting or turning of your foot when it is planted and your knee is bent
• Kneeling, squatting, or lifting something heavy
• Playing contact sports
• Degenerative or arthritic knees in older adults

Treatment for a Meniscus Tear

The treatment for a torn meniscus depends on the size and location of the tear and the patient’s activity level. Also, the location of the tear determines how well it will heal. Some people may require non-invasive treatments and chiropractic methods, while others may need surgery.

• Outer Edge (Red Zone)

  A tear in the outer one-third of the meniscus heals better compared to the inner meniscus as this area has its own blood supply. A small or medium-sized tear responds well to non-invasive treatments such as laser therapy. Laser therapy accelerates the healing and repair process and stimulates the growth of new tissue.

• Inner Meniscus (White Zone)

  A tear in the inner two-thirds of the meniscus may not heal on its own as this area lacks a good supply of blood. Therefore, arthroscopic surgery is recommended. However, the surgery is not always 100% successful as this part of the meniscus lacks healing ability. The recovery becomes especially difficult for patients over 40 years of age.

What Are the Best Exercises for a Torn Meniscus?

Certain exercises can help increase the strength in your upper leg muscles and the flow of blood to your knee. You can perform the following exercises as a part of your chiropractic treatment or in order to heal after surgery:

• Motion exercises such as flexing and extending the knee
• Stretching exercises to keep the muscles around the knee loose
• Basic exercises such as straight leg raises, and toe raises
• Advanced exercises such as squats, toe raises with weights, and harder stretches

How Long Does It Take for a Torn Meniscus to Heal without Surgery?

If you have the injury in the red zone, a meniscal tear will commonly take up to six to eight weeks to heal completely. The healing time depends upon the position and severity of the tear. Reducing activities that cause excessive stress through the meniscus can help heal it quicker.

Can Chiropractors Help with Torn Meniscus?

Chiropractic care offers an effective, safe, non-invasive, and painless solution for a torn meniscus. A chiropractor uses laser therapy combined with other therapies to reduce knee pain, increase motion, and strengthen the joint muscles. These treatments also help in reducing swelling and improving the overall function of your knee.

Dr. Berry, one of the most trusted chiropractors in Tustin, offers the Class IV K-Laser Knee Program to treat patients with a torn meniscus. Contact us at (714) 639-4640 to get advice from Dr. Berry on your personalized treatment program.

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Sprains and Strains: Know the Causes, Symptoms, & Treatments

Sprains and strains are common injuries and athletes aren't the only persons to receive them. Anyone can slip on a spot of water or trip over something that's in the way. Many people get the two injuries confused because the signs and symptoms are similar. In fact, they are two different injuries.

Causes and Symptoms of Sprains
A sprain is the result of ligaments in a weight-bearing joint being extended or stretched beyond their normal capacity. Once the ligament has been stretched, continued use of the joint can result in even further damage. Symptoms of a sprain include:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• General pain and discomfort throughout the injured area

Causes and Symptoms of Strains
Strains occur when a muscle is worked or stretched beyond its normal capacity. Strains often occur during periods of intense physical activity. They heal much faster than a sprain because muscles receive more blood flow than ligaments and tendons. The symptoms of a strain include:

• Swelling
Soreness
• Muscle tenderness
• Stiffness in the nearest joint

Treatment Options for Sprains and Strains
Everyone receives a sprain or strain at some point in their lives. While most will heal sufficiently on their own, you should always be aware of your activity level to ensure that you don't re-injure the area or make it worse.

If a joint has been strained or sprained in the past, you are at higher risk for spraining/straining the same area again. Sprains and strains often tend to repeat in the same area if it has become weak or hasn't healed properly. You may also consider wearing a brace over an injured joint.

Rest is the best treatment option available. Avoid stressing the injured area and use R.I.C.E. to control your symptoms of sprains and strains. Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation are a good way to keep pain and discomfort to a minimum. If the pain persists, it's important that you visit a chiropractor near you who you can trust. They will help you determine the best chiropractic treatment options for your particular injury.

If you are looking for a trusted chiropractor in Tustin, contact us for a free consultation. We provide affordable chiropractic services including Class IV K-Laser which is an effective, non-invasive, safe, and painless solution for injuries caused by sprains and strains.

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What You Should Know About a Pulled Hamstring

The word hamstring originated from the old English word 'hamm', which means thigh. It's a collection of three muscles that are present along the rear of your thigh. They help you flex your leg at the knee. A pulled or strained hamstring is a condition in which you experience a sudden, acute pain in the back of your thigh.

Hamstring injuries are very common in sports. A severe hamstring injury may require full medical attention. Most hamstring injuries are effectively treated with simple, nonsurgical treatments while others may need some surgical intervention.

Read on to know about some important facts related to a pulled hamstring or hamstring injury.

There are diverse possible risk factors for hamstring injuries.

• Inadequate warming up and poor stretching
• Muscle weakness or an imbalance in the muscle strength within the hamstring muscles
• Muscle weakness or an imbalance between the hamstrings and quadriceps
• Poor footwear
• Recurrent injury when the muscle hasn't completely healed from previous damage

People who sustain an acute pulled hamstring will experience a few of the following symptoms:

• A sudden, acute pain at the rear of the thigh or buttocks.
• An audible “pop” sound and a feeling of the leg giving way.
• Hampered normal activities like proper walking, rising up from a sitting posture, or descending stairs.
• Initial first few hours swelling after the injury.
• Skin discoloration and bruising at the back side of your leg during the first few days.
• Persisting weakness in your hamstring continuing for weeks.

Risk Factors for a Pulled Hamstring Injury

While nearly anyone can sustain a hamstring injury, certain people are at higher risk than others. The risk factors for a pulled hamstring injury include:

• People who have previously endured a hamstring injury are at the greater danger of future hamstring injuries.
• A weakened or fatigued muscle can also increase the risk of injury.
• A muscle that is less flexible has a bigger chance of injury.
• Properly warmed up muscles are less likely to be injured.
• Dehydration can render a person more prone to cramping and injury.
• Existing lower limb injury can enhance the chances of new injury in the same or opposite limb.

Treatment of a Pulled Hamstring Injury

It depends on the spot and severity of the damage. It can include a non-surgical or a surgical treatment process.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Most hamstring strains heal very well with simple, nonsurgical treatment including:

• Taking rest form strain causing activities
• Applying ice-packs regularly
• Using a compression bandage
• Keeping leg in an elevated position
• Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines.
• Undergoing physical therapy for improving motion flexibility

Surgical Treatment

Surgery is usually performed if your tendon has altogether pulled away from your bone. You may also need surgery to repair an entire tear within the muscle, through reattachment using stitches. You will recover your full function after a hamstring injury, upon completing a rehabilitation plan. Depending on the intensity of injury, the whole rehabilitative process may cover several months.

Best Exercises for Hamstring Strain

Your physical therapy plan will include initial gentle stretches to enhance flexibility and motion range. Strengthening exercises will be added to your plan subsequently by your physical therapist, as a protective measure against hamstring strain.

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How Chiropractic Care Helps You Recover from Whiplash

Doctors who offer chiropractic services and treatment plans are able to help their patients recover from various types of accidents.

One of the most common injuries that a patient can receive in an accident is whiplash. It can range from very mild to severe effects and can cause tremendous amount of pain and discomfort. Individuals who have been involved in car accidents may not realize they have been injured until the next day when the inflammation and swelling have reached the point where movement is restricted and the person can no longer move his or her head normally.

What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury caused by severe jerking or pulling on the head and neck. The injury is caused when the forward motion of the body is abruptly stopped and the head is allowed to continue to move forward at a faster speed. It is much like a slingshot or jerking motion, where the head continues to move at the same speed of the body, even after the body has stopped.

If the jerking motion is severe enough, it can not only pull the muscles of the neck and damage the soft tissue, it can also fracture the neck bones.

How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help?
Chiropractic services and treatment plans help to re-align the head with the neck, and make both return to their original tissues. Most chiropractors employ massage therapists who are able to manipulate the soft tissues of the area in an attempt to reduce the swelling and inflammation that often accompanies an injury.

Massage also encourages blood flow to the area to help the tissues heal. Chiropractic benefits include:

• Restores balance to the body
• Aligns and corrects the position of bones that have been dislodged or forced out of place
• Prevents ligaments and tendons from being stretched out of shape
• Takes the stress off of muscles and other soft tissues allowing them to heal as they should

While the massage therapists help strengthen the muscles, the chiropractic helps the bones return to their original position. Once they are stabilized, the rejuvenated muscles will hold them in place and allow them to heal. It may take two or three sessions for the bones and muscles to remain in place without shifting back into the position they were in during the injury. Massage therapy can benefit almost anyone with a whiplash injury. Some of the benefits of massage include:

• Increases blood flow in the affected area
• Reduces swelling and inflammation
• Manipulates soft tissues into returning to their former position
• Strengthens tissues by providing oxygen and nutrients that are needed to heal any damage that was caused by the accident

Chiropractors also use vibration and heat therapy to help soften tense muscles that can aggravate a whiplash injury. There are many chiropractic services that will provide long lasting, relief from pain and discomfort associated with whiplash. Whiplash pain is normally centralized in the neck but can radiate outward; this can affect the head, shoulders, arms, neck and upper back.

Will the Effects Be Long Lasting?
The first chiropractic session may offer profound relief, but it will depend on how long the bones and muscle tissues have been out of place. For instance, it may take several chiropractic treatments to alleviate the pain depending on how long ago the injury took place. If the injury is only a few days old, one or two visits to the chiropractor may be all you need to alleviate the problems you are experiencing.

Whiplash injuries can cause a person to lose the ability to move their head from side to side. The severe pain may also prevent individuals from being able to sleep and lift his or her head. Hence, receiving a chiropractic treatment can increase range of motion and can improve flexibility allowing the person to move their head from side to side without pain.

Chiropractic services like MRI's, x-rays and other diagnostic tools can help chiropractors uncover the extent of a patient's injuries and then design a treatment program that works best for the individual. Treatment plans are created according to the patient's individual needs and can be adjusted as the healing begins to take place.

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