Exercises for a Torn Meniscus: 8 Moves to Help You Recover
Key takeaways:
A torn meniscus is an injury to the thick, C-shaped cartilage inside your knee joint. A torn meniscus can cause pain and limit your ability to bend and straighten your knee.
Range of motion exercises can help restore the full movement of your knee joint.
Strengthening exercises can also help the surrounding muscles support your knee joint. This can help decrease pain and knee instability.
Table of contents
A torn meniscus is a common condition that can result from a sudden injury or wear and tear over time. Symptoms like knee pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability can make day-to-day activities difficult.
Fortunately, many meniscus tears don’t require surgery. Exercises for the muscles surrounding the knee can help support your knee joint. They can also improve your range of motion, which can help with recovery. Learn more about exercises for a torn meniscus and which activities to avoid.
What are the best exercises for a torn meniscus?
The best exercises for a torn meniscus fall into two different categories: range of motion exercises and strengthening exercises:
Range of motion exercise: A torn meniscus can cause symptoms that make it difficult to bend or straighten your knee fully. The first goal of recovery from a torn meniscus is to restore your full range of motion.
Strengthening exercise: After a knee injury, your quadriceps (“quads”) can become weak and make your knee feel unstable. Exercises that improve the strength of the muscles around your knee, especially your quadriceps, help support your knee joint.
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It’s best to start with exercises that are non weight-bearing to reduce irritation and pressure within your knee. When your pain improves, you can then work toward more challenging exercises while standing.
Performing a warm-up — like stationary cycling — before you exercise is helpful for warming up your knee joints. But before you start exercising with a torn meniscus, talk to a healthcare professional to make sure it’s safe for you. If you’re told that exercise is safe, here are eight exercises to try.
1. Heel slides
Fully bending your knee may be difficult with a torn meniscus. Heel slides work on improving your full range of motion into knee bending.
Step 1: Lie on your back with your legs extended.
Step 2: Slowly bend your knee to slide your heel closer to your body. Keep your heel touching the floor the entire time.
Step 3: Once you bend your knee as far as it can go without pain, hold this position for 5 seconds.
Step 4: Slowly straighten your knee and slide your heel away from you.
Step 5: Complete 20 repetitions.
2. Hamstring curls
This exercise also focuses on bending your knee through its full range of motion. As the name suggests, the hamstring curl targets your hamstrings — a group of muscles at the back of your thigh.
Step 1: Start in a standing position. Hold onto a counter or back of a chair for support.
Step 2: Keeping your body upright, bend your knee to lift your foot up behind your body. Try to bring your foot as close as possible to touch the back of your thigh.
Step 3: Hold this contraction for 5 seconds. Then, relax by slowly lowering your foot back down to the floor.
Step 4: Complete 20 repetitions.
3. Quadriceps sets
The quads are a group of four muscles in the front of your thigh. These muscles work together to straighten your knee. Making sure the quadriceps muscles activate properly with this exercise is important for maintaining knee stability.
Step 1: Lie on your back with your legs extended. Place a small, rolled-up towel under your knee.
Step 2: Squeeze your quadriceps muscles in the front of your thigh to press the back of your knee down into the towel.
Step 3: Hold this contraction for 5 seconds, then relax.
Step 4: Complete 20 repetitions.
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4. Seated leg extension
The seated leg extension exercise also strengthens your quadriceps muscles. Full straightening (extension) of your knee joint is needed for knee stability.
Step 1: Sit evenly in a chair with your hips and knees level and your feet flat on the floor. Make sure the creases of your knees are touching the edge of the seat.
Step 2: Without lifting your thigh, extend your leg out in front of you to straighten your knee. You should feel the muscles in your thigh tightening. Your hip, knee, and ankle should all be in a straight line parallel to the floor.
Step 3: Hold this contraction for 5 seconds, then relax by slowly lowering your foot back down to the floor.
Step 4: Complete 20 repetitions.
5. Straight leg raises
Straight leg raises help your quadriceps muscles keep your knee straight during leg movement. Being able to perform straight leg raises without bending your knee is a good indicator of quadriceps control, which is important for everyday movements.
Step 1: Lie on your back with one leg bent and the injured leg straight.
Step 2: Squeeze the quadriceps muscles of your straightened leg to keep your knee locked.
Step 3: While keeping your leg straight, slowly lift it off the floor. Stop when your knees are in line with each other.
Step 4: Then, slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position. Keep your knee straight throughout the entire movement.
Step 5: Complete 20 repetitions.
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6. Clamshells
Clamshells target hip muscles that stabilize your entire leg. This helps maintain good alignment of your thigh and knee, which can decrease irritation from a torn meniscus.
Step 1: Lie on your side with your knees bent. Keep your hips and ankles stacked on top of each other.
Step 2: Without moving your body, slowly lift your top knee up toward the ceiling. Your ankles should stay squeezed together.
Step 3: Maintain your knee lifted and hold for 5 seconds.
Step 4: Slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
Step 5: Complete 20 repetitions on each side.
7. Bridges
Bridges strengthen the glute muscles in your buttocks. These powerful muscles support your entire lower body.
Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
Step 2: Contract your abdominal muscles to keep your lower back flat.
Step 3: Push through your feet to slowly lift your hips up toward the ceiling.
Step 4: Squeeze your glute muscles together and keep your hips lifted. Hold for 5 seconds.
Step 5: Slowly lower your hips down to the starting position.
Step 6: Complete 20 repetitions.
8. Half squats
Half squats strengthen your leg muscles but avoid deep knee bending, which can irritate a torn meniscus.
Step 1: Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart and toes pointing forward.
Step 2: Contract your abdominal muscles to engage your core and lean your hips back as if you’re sitting down in a chair. Allow your knees to bend slightly.
Step 3: Lower your body until you achieve approximately a 45-degree bend in your knees.
Step 4: Push through your hips and legs to return to a standing position.
Step 5: Complete 20 repetitions.
What exercises should you avoid if you have a meniscus injury?
Certain activities and exercises can irritate your knee if you have a torn meniscus. High-impact activities and deep knee bending can increase stress on your meniscus. These activities can worsen pain and swelling, and possibly prevent it from healing properly.
Avoid activities like running, jumping, and high-impact sports. Exercises requiring deep knee bending, like squats and lunges, should also wait until your knee has recovered.
You can gradually return to high-impact activities and other exercise when your knee is showing signs of recovery. These include walking without a limp, full knee range of motion, and good leg strength.
What else can you do to recover from a torn meniscus?
In addition to rest and exercise, you can use pain-relieving methods to help you recover from a torn meniscus. For pain and swelling, try:
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications
You may also want to consider going to physical therapy for further instruction in exercises that can help you recover from a torn meniscus.
The bottom line
A torn meniscus can cause knee pain, stiffness, and instability that can limit your ability to walk and exercise comfortably. Gentle leg strengthening and range of motion exercises can help ease pain as you recover. It’s important to rest from aggravating activities like running, jumping, and deep squatting. Before trying any new exercise routines, check in with your primary care provider.
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References
Delaloye, J., et al. (2018). How to rapidly abolish knee extension deficit after injury or surgery: A practice-changing video pearl from the Scientific Anterior Cruciate Ligament Network International (SANTI) study group. Arthroscopy Techniques.
InformedHealth.org. (2021). Osteoarthritis of the knee: Learn more – what can I do to strengthen my knees? Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.
MU Health. (2020). Straight leg raise [video]. YouTube.
National Stroke Organization. (2015). Supine heel slides [video]. YouTube.
OrthoInfo. (2009). Knee exercises. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
OrthoInfo. (2018). Knee conditioning program. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
OrthoInfo. (2021). Meniscus tears. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Safran-Norton, C. E., et al. (2019). A consensus-based process identifying physical therapy and exercise treatments for patients with degenerative meniscal tears and knee OA: The TeMPO physical therapy interventions and home exercise program. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
TSAOG Orthopaedics & Spine. (2020). Quad set exercise demonstration - physical therapy exercises [video]. YouTube.
