An important meta-analysis was just published in the British Medical association sports jornal. The authors addressed the important question of when one should start rehab after surgery.

Just how early should one start rehab exercises after repair of tear ?

Like all themes on Niseko Chiropractics blog. It depends.

Age is going to play after as well as wear the tear is located. Because much of the meniscus has a poor supply it may take a little longer before it’s safer to move. Generally speaking the deeper the tear within the meniscus  the longer you may wish to wait to allow more healing.

All meniscus tears are not created equal. Here is a run down of the type of tears that can occur and be corrected surgically.

 

The longitudinal tears on the outside in a young athlete are going to be able to be rehabed fairly quickly whilst a deep bucket handle tear in an older inactive person is going to need longer.

The take home message from the study that looked at 17 other studies is that the traditional approach of a conservative window may not be backed by evidence of risk and some studies showed more favourable results by getting moving early with some studies prescribing weighted range of motion exercises within 3 days of your surgery.

The implications from the study is that getting moving earlier than previously thought may be the better approach although at some point there is going to be a risk/ benefit playoff and that is going to vary based on a your own personal circumstances.

Ff you are going to have surgery make sure you discuss and understand what type of tear you have and how it will be repaired. Ideally get this in writing from the surgeon. Then ask them for their guidance with your unique situation.

Lastly find a good rehab provider that is going to be able to assist you in getting active as soon as possible.

You can find a link to the full article below

https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000212

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