Does physiotherapy treat a meniscus tear?

The meniscus is a cushioning piece of cartilage inside the knee. A tear may cause pain, swelling, reduced bending or straightening, clicking, or difficulty with stairs and squatting. Physiotherapy can address swelling and stiffness, restore comfortable range of motion, and strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, hips and calf. Balance and task practice help the knee cope with daily activity. Some tears settle with rehabilitation, while a displaced tear, true locking, major instability or ongoing symptoms may need an orthopaedic opinion. The treatment choice depends on the tear pattern, how it happened and how the knee behaves.

Keep moving within the limits set by your clinician and avoid deep squats, twisting or kneeling if those actions provoke catching or pain. Use the exercises taught in assessment, with gradual increases in resistance and walking demands. Ice or other comfort measures may help some people, but they should not replace a plan for restoring strength. Seek review if the knee remains swollen after ordinary activity or your progress stops.

Seek urgent care if the knee is deformed, you cannot bear weight after an injury, or the lower leg becomes numb, cold or unusually weak. Arrange prompt assessment if the knee locks and cannot straighten, repeatedly gives way, swells suddenly, or becomes hot and red with fever. A clinician can determine whether rehabilitation alone is appropriate.

Ask where the tear is, whether it is stable, whether imaging would alter treatment, and which movements should be limited. Ask how progress will be checked and what would prompt an orthopaedic referral.