Your experience exercising on no ACL AND a torn Meniscus

Geminieve24

Hey there! Back in May I completely tore my ACL and also tore my meniscus (right knee). I was curious to know if anyone else out there has had a similar injury. I am anticipating surgery and some serious rehab in the next few months. In the meantime, I am getting sick of always going to the exercise bike and elliptical trainer.

For those who have had a similar injury, what workouts and activities can you "muster" through?

I really wish to get back to my Jillian Michael's 90-day Total Body Revolution. But the idea of doing any lunges and plyometrics seem undoable.

Thanks!

Geminieve24

*bump

navyrigger46

Not me, but a buddy of mine is recovering from the same injury you describe. Prior to surgery he would swim, and lift (upper body.) he's now 14 months post surgery and can play golf again, he' also on my basketball team, and we play every Tuesday, he wears braces for that, he's now back to running as well without the braces. Pre surgery though, swimming is your best bet, and lifting.

Rigger

AmyZ46

I had that injury 10 years ago . Gained 100 lbs because it hurt to exercise . I wish I hadn't been a whimp and just tuffed it out . I am now doing exercises and you know what ? It still hurtsa little .... but I can do most anything.

Good luck.


Amy

Geminieve24

I had that injury 10 years ago . Gained 100 lbs because it hurt to exercise . I wish I hadn't been a whimp and just tuffed it out . I am now doing exercises and you know what ? It still hurtsa little .... but I can do most anything.

Good luck.


Amy

Thank you for your feedback. I'm sorry that happened to you. At first the pain was pretty intense. It is quite manageable now when I exercise. But I find that if I don't exercise the meniscus tear will aggravate me! The no ACl is what I worry about with certain workouts. Good to know you are back to doing most things!

Acg67

Hey there! Back in May I completely tore my ACL and also tore my meniscus (right knee). I was curious to know if anyone else out there has had a similar injury. I am anticipating surgery and some serious rehab in the next few months. In the meantime, I am getting sick of always going to the exercise bike and elliptical trainer.

For those who have had a similar injury, what workouts and activities can you "muster" through?

I really wish to get back to my Jillian Michael's 90-day Total Body Revolution. But the idea of doing any lunges and plyometrics seem undoable.

Thanks!

I have a reconstructed ACL and no PCL and had my meniscus scoped, I can do most anything although running aggravates it so I just avoid most cardio altogether

Geminieve24

Hey there! Back in May I completely tore my ACL and also tore my meniscus (right knee). I was curious to know if anyone else out there has had a similar injury. I am anticipating surgery and some serious rehab in the next few months. In the meantime, I am getting sick of always going to the exercise bike and elliptical trainer.

For those who have had a similar injury, what workouts and activities can you "muster" through?

I really wish to get back to my Jillian Michael's 90-day Total Body Revolution. But the idea of doing any lunges and plyometrics seem undoable.

Thanks!

I have a reconstructed ACL and no PCL and had my meniscus scoped, I can do most anything although running aggravates it so I just avoid most cardio altogether

I am getting my meniscus scoped as well and a cadaver ACL put in. How are you with lunges and squats? Couldyou do them pre-surgery?

Acg67

Hey there! Back in May I completely tore my ACL and also tore my meniscus (right knee). I was curious to know if anyone else out there has had a similar injury. I am anticipating surgery and some serious rehab in the next few months. In the meantime, I am getting sick of always going to the exercise bike and elliptical trainer.

For those who have had a similar injury, what workouts and activities can you "muster" through?

I really wish to get back to my Jillian Michael's 90-day Total Body Revolution. But the idea of doing any lunges and plyometrics seem undoable.

Thanks!

I have a reconstructed ACL and no PCL and had my meniscus scoped, I can do most anything although running aggravates it so I just avoid most cardio altogether

I am getting my meniscus scoped as well and a cadaver ACL put in. How are you with lunges and squats? Couldyou do them pre-surgery?

Yes, higher rep squat sessions can aggravate it a bit, but getting some knee sleeves really helped for squats

Geminieve24

Hey there! Back in May I completely tore my ACL and also tore my meniscus (right knee). I was curious to know if anyone else out there has had a similar injury. I am anticipating surgery and some serious rehab in the next few months. In the meantime, I am getting sick of always going to the exercise bike and elliptical trainer.

For those who have had a similar injury, what workouts and activities can you "muster" through?

I really wish to get back to my Jillian Michael's 90-day Total Body Revolution. But the idea of doing any lunges and plyometrics seem undoable.

Thanks!

I have a reconstructed ACL and no PCL and had my meniscus scoped, I can do most anything although running aggravates it so I just avoid most cardio altogether

I am getting my meniscus scoped as well and a cadaver ACL put in. How are you with lunges and squats? Couldyou do them pre-surgery?

Yes, higher rep squat sessions can aggravate it a bit, but getting some knee sleeves really helped for squats

Knee sleeves-good to know! Thanks!

Acg67

Hey there! Back in May I completely tore my ACL and also tore my meniscus (right knee). I was curious to know if anyone else out there has had a similar injury. I am anticipating surgery and some serious rehab in the next few months. In the meantime, I am getting sick of always going to the exercise bike and elliptical trainer.

For those who have had a similar injury, what workouts and activities can you "muster" through?

I really wish to get back to my Jillian Michael's 90-day Total Body Revolution. But the idea of doing any lunges and plyometrics seem undoable.

Thanks!

I have a reconstructed ACL and no PCL and had my meniscus scoped, I can do most anything although running aggravates it so I just avoid most cardio altogether

I am getting my meniscus scoped as well and a cadaver ACL put in. How are you with lunges and squats? Couldyou do them pre-surgery?

Yes, higher rep squat sessions can aggravate it a bit, but getting some knee sleeves really helped for squats

Knee sleeves-good to know! Thanks!

These are the ones I have

http://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Kono-TK-Knee-Bands/dp/B00B59AD2A

kevinster

Hello. I'm 14 weeks post-surgery (cadavar ACL and meniscus fixed). I can do the exercise bike for 90 minutes a day, and some basic yoga poses. I don't have full range of motion yet. My physical therapist has me on track to run a 5k by mid-november. I was an avid runner before I tore it and both my surgeon and physical therapist expect me to fully recover.

kevin

dkhuff1

I tore my ACL and meniscus 19 years ago. Once the swelling went down I ran on it,swam, hiked, weight lifted and played tennis, and skied on it. I had a complete tear but my primary care doc never ordered an MRI or referred me to surgeon. So 6 years later it got really unstable and finally I went to an ortho. By then he did not need an MRI to make the diagnosis. I did have swelling after running or from standing on it for hours.

As it feels better you can probably do more on it. Id work on your knee stabilization but be careful to not make the meniscus tear worse. Keeping your muscle tone will help your recovery. I'd say away from things that involve compression and any kind of torque-- ie changing directions quickly.

Good luck and don't wait too long for your surgery. Wish I could have been diagnosed right when mine was torn. Now I have arthritis becuase of the years between the injury and the repair

brandon_2A

I tore my ACL about 11 years ago and never got it fixed (no health insurance + young and dumb). Now days if I know I'm going to be doing something that could hurt it I'll put a light brace on it. The only thing that really makes it hurt is running on a treadmill, but running outside is fine. Don't ask me why.

Reytor

Hello,

I tore my ACL and meniscus four years ago and just had surgery in May (Hamstring graft and meniscus repair). Before my surgery I was able to do a lot like jog slowly, squats, lunges, jump rope. I was not able to move laterally, make any cuts, or rotate on the knee. If I did it would go out on me. Feel free to add me if you have any questions.

Sylvitryinghard

Hey hey I think this is gonna be a story of my life acl pcl meniscus and i dont know what else sighhhhhhhhhhhh ripped bone bruises for the second time. Last surgery was end of jan and now I can do everything again just have pain doing squats so I guess I will wait a bit. And still not allowed to go running and I really really miss it. and im still missing out zumba classes which I love. (too much moves Im a bit afraid)after first surgery I was totally back on track incl. running and training for a cross triathlon. I really gotta be patient this time. wishing you all well!!!!

Angylgrrl

I had a complete tear of my ACL and torn meniscus (both sides) in my left knee. I was jogging (my first attempt at trying to lose weight), reached my turnaround point, and must have somehow kept my foot planted and turned my body. It was pretty ugly- within 20 minutes my knee was at least double, if not triple, its normal size. I couldn't put pressure on it, and had to buy crutches so I could go to work the next day. When I went in to work, they made me go to a walk-in clinic, and the nurse there in turn made me go to the emergency room. I was referred to an orthopedist, and he explained the surgical options. He basically said that while I could do the cadaver replacement ACL, the recovery time was much longer, and that it was not really a necessity unless I was planning on taking up high impact sports. I decided to just get the meniscus cleaned up, which they were able to do laproscopically.

I went to PT both before and after the surgery, though for not as long afterwards as they wanted. (My insurance would only cover so much.) Honestly, the best thing you can do is try to extend the range of motion in that knee both before and after the surgery. I thought my range of motion would be compromised for life, but it is completely back to normal. I rarely experience any pain with it, though rainy, humid weather makes it achy, as I have arthritis in that knee from the damage (I also injured the same knee in high school-it's even possible that the tear dates back to this first injury). I also sometimes get achy in the beginning of a run or after a run. When running, I really listen to my body. Most days it's totally fine, but sometimes I know I have to slow my pace, even down to a walk, or else I get the unstable slip-out. I don't wear a brace as of right now, but I am thinking of investing in a lightweight brace with side stabilizers to help curb that issue. I do run on concrete/asphalt, and make sure that my shoes are tied tightly so that my foot can't slide around at all and contribute to any instability.

Even though I want to do Insanity, as of right now, I try to stay away from super high impact on the knees. I started with the elliptical, which I hated, but I think it helped me build my range of motion so that I could later run. I do bodyweight squats with no issues, and have no problems with it 98% of the time.

Hope this helps! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

***Eta*** I started taking Glucosamine Chondroitin several months ago along with my other vitamins. I don't know if it REALLY does anything, but it makes me feel like I'm doing the best that I can to keep my knee healthy for as long as possible. Just figured I should mention that- maybe that's why it has behaved so well for me.

Geminieve24

Hello. I'm 14 weeks post-surgery (cadavar ACL and meniscus fixed). I can do the exercise bike for 90 minutes a day, and some basic yoga poses. I don't have full range of motion yet. My physical therapist has me on track to run a 5k by mid-november. I was an avid runner before I tore it and both my surgeon and physical therapist expect me to fully recover.

kevin

Thank you for sharing!

GiddyupTim

I am of two minds about this. Orthopedists will tell you to go out and do what you can before surgery, wearing a brace if you need to, because you are not going to hurt yourself any worse, and the better conditioning you have before surgery the quicker and better your rehab. There is even some thought among surgeons that not all people who tear their ACL will necessarily have to have surgery to return to vigorous activity.
On the other hand, my brother, my nephew, and others I know, will tell you that they followed that advice and ended up with a worse injury.
I squatted with weight, jogged lightly, and even tried to play tennis before my surgery, and I do not know if it made any difference but I had pain going up and down stairs the last two months before my surgery. (I had cartilage damage that was repaired with an OATS procedure.)
In your case, the worry is the meniscus, I would think. A small defect in your meniscus, they can simply trim. A larger one, they need to cut out a wedge and sew it back together. The second is the worse surgery to have because it usually creates a somewhat uneven meniscus, that will create wear over the years.
Now, usually the meniscus gets torn in the same incident where your ACL tears. (Most ACL injuries are actually what the doctors refer to as the 'terrible triad,' that is: you tear the ACL, the MCL and the meniscus.) So, I would guess that, without an ACL, your knee would prone to that same movement that damaged your meniscus in the first place -- ie, you risk damaging it further.
I might just take it easy. It is not that long until surgery, and afterwards, if you don't make things worse, you will be as good as new.
Anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong in any of this.

Geminieve24

Hey hey I think this is gonna be a story of my life acl pcl meniscus and i dont know what else sighhhhhhhhhhhh ripped bone bruises for the second time. Last surgery was end of jan and now I can do everything again just have pain doing squats so I guess I will wait a bit. And still not allowed to go running and I really really miss it. and im still missing out zumba classes which I love. (too much moves Im a bit afraid)after first surgery I was totally back on track incl. running and training for a cross triathlon. I really gotta be patient this time. wishing you all well!!!!

WOW! You mentioned Zumba. I been looking to start up dancing next year and didn't know how much of an impact it was going to cause onthe knee. I also wish you well!

Geminieve24

I am of two minds about this. Orthopedists will tell you to go out and do what you can before surgery, wearing a brace if you need to, because you are not going to hurt yourself any worse, and the better conditioning you have before surgery the quicker and better your rehab. There is even some thought among surgeons that not all people who tear their ACL will necessarily have to have surgery to return to vigorous activity.
On the other hand, my brother, my nephew, and others I know, will tell you that they followed that advice and ended up with a worse injury.
I squatted with weight, jogged lightly, and even tried to play tennis before my surgery, and I do not know if it made any difference but I had pain going up and down stairs the last two months before my surgery. (I had cartilage damage that was repaired with an OATS procedure.)
In your case, the worry is the meniscus, I would think. A small defect in your meniscus, they can simply trim. A larger one, they need to cut out a wedge and sew it back together. The second is the worse surgery to have because it usually creates a somewhat uneven meniscus, that will create wear over the years.
Now, usually the meniscus gets torn in the same incident where your ACL tears. (Most ACL injuries are actually what the doctors refer to as the 'terrible triad,' that is: you tear the ACL, the MCL and the meniscus.) So, I would guess that, without an ACL, your knee would prone to that same movement that damaged your meniscus in the first place -- ie, you risk damaging it further.
I might just take it easy. It is not that long until surgery, and afterwards, if you don't make things worse, you will be as good as new.
Anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong in any of this.

Thank you for the feedback. I am scoping the meniscus for now. I am going to revisit the ACL issue next year. The meniscus is a pain I feel all the time. The ACL just feels unstable with certain movements, but totally tolerable. My surgeon said I have much stability in my bad knee as the good knee. He mentioned people go back to normal routines. Now, my trampoline days are over, but I can go back to spin class I bike and do the eliptical everyday, and still losing weight on a "bum" knee.

So I am not really sure I am going to get the ACL repair or not. One thing at a time. Thank you all for the tips!

SGSmallman

3 years post P2B (patella to bone graft) ACL MCL reconstruction, Meniscus and cartilage repair. A full grade 3 tear of the ACL.

I going spinning several times a week Heavy leg sessions including squats deadlifts etc I ran the Spartan sprint last year and am aiming for the trifecta this year, never been much of a runner but am getting into it and apart from the muscles soreness from leaning to run my knee is ok

You will always get a bit of pain I sometimes accidentally twist it in bed which feels awful. it's all about giving 100% in rehab and post physio slowly building up your strength but more importantly you mental wellbeing and confidence. I was never told how much of a mental effect it would have and it wasn't until Jan/Feb this year i finally stopped worrying about my knee.

Good luck and don't give up you can lead a normal life and in fact because you'll be looking after yourself more and building the surrounding muscle in your legs (leg curls are great pre op for building those muscles) you will be stronger and in a better place.

Learn your body it's strengths and limits.

all the best x