The meniscus is the cartilage in the knee area, mainly used to pad the femur of the knee joint. There is a semi-circular presence on both sides between the femoral condyle and tibia in the knee joint, known as the meniscus. It can provide good cushioning effect when the knee joint bears force, mainly by increasing the stability of the knee joint.
What is the function of meniscus?
The main functions of the meniscus include stabilizing the joint, absorbing vibrations, lubricating the joint, assisting in knee joint movement, etc. Specifically, it is as follows:
1. Stabilizing the joint: The meniscus has a special shape of being thick on the outside and thin on the inside, concave on the top and flat on the bottom, which can fill the joint space between the femur and tibia, making the joint more stable.
2. Absorption of vibrations: The meniscus is composed of fibrocartilage, which is elastic and can withstand gravity, absorbing local vibrations.
3. Lubrication of joints: Meniscus can spread joint synovial fluid, lubricate joint cartilage, and protect joint cartilage.
4. Assist in knee joint movement: Assist in knee joint flexion, extension, and rotation activities. When the knee joint is extended and flexed, the meniscus can move forward and backward. When the knee joint rotates, one meniscus moves forward and the other backward. Therefore, meniscus damage or even tearing is most likely to occur during rotation activities. Normally, attention should be paid to protecting the meniscus of the knee joint, avoiding joint sprains, and enhancing the strength and strength of the muscles around the knee joint.
In daily life, meniscus injuries are not uncommon. For example, accidental falls, heavy mountain climbing, poor running posture, and inappropriate shoes can all lead to meniscus injuries.
If the knee joint is not well protected and subjected to heavy physical labor for a long time, it may cause meniscus damage and lead to knee joint pain. In severe cases, there may be popping sounds and Karaoke pain symptoms in the knee joint. At this time, it is necessary to go to the hospital for X-ray examination. In order to better understand the health status of the knee joint, magnetic resonance imaging examination can also be performed, which can dynamically observe the health status of the knee joint through imaging.
What are the symptoms of meniscus injury?
1. Swelling, pain, and swelling
Weakness and fatigue. After meniscus injury, due to the damage of the patient's meridians, there may be qi stagnation, blood stasis, and meridian obstruction. Therefore, there may be symptoms of partial swelling, pain, and obstruction of movement in the early stage of meniscus injury.
2. Weakness and fatigue
After meniscus injury, there are symptoms of swelling, pain, and stasis in the early stage. Although these swelling symptoms will subside after a few weeks, the patient may still experience muscle contraction and atrophy, knee joint instability, and weakness and fatigue due to the stagnation of qi and blood, lack of blood, and loss of muscle and bone nourishment.
3. Knee joint pain
Knee joint pain is also a symptom of meniscus injury. If the patient's discoid cartilage or femoral and tibial joint cartilage is damaged, there is a high possibility of knee joint pain, which can affect the symptoms of normal activity. If the discoid cartilage is severely damaged and embedded in a certain part of the knee joint, causing joint interlocking, it will cause severe pain and inability to extend or flex the knee joint.
4. Joint locking
During the process of extension and flexion of the knee joint, there is a high possibility of joint locking and clicking due to the anterior or posterior end of the ruptured meniscus being embedded between the tibial and femoral joint surfaces.
The symptoms of meniscus injury are roughly the four types introduced above.
So, what are the methods for relieving meniscus injuries?
1. Perform massage therapy. Because massage can help patients improve some blood circulation, thereby playing a role in anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
2. Treat with traditional Chinese medicine external application therapy. This is because through external application of traditional Chinese medicine, the medication can penetrate the subcutaneous bone, effectively eliminating inflammation, reducing swelling, repairing, and reducing pressure on the knee joint, promoting the recovery of meniscus function.
3. acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy may play an auxiliary role in clearing some edema and inflammation.