Meniscus tear - to surgery or not?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I have been practicing yoga regularly for about 25 years. A teacher adjustment in frog pose 2 1/2 months ago initiated what later turned out to be a tear in my meniscus. I am very active and it’s been so hard not to be able to have a regular active yoga practice or take my nature walks. I can’t do janu sirsasana, child’s pose, badha konasana, pigeon, any cross leg position, virasana or so much else. Even if they don’t hurt too much at the time when I take it really slow and gentle the next day I can barely walk.

I went to a doctor today who said I don’t need surgery if I can live with the symptoms, but I can’t bear the thought of not being able to do so many of my favorite poses or hiking etc. She said it was a pretty short and easy recovery, but no pressure from her at all. So I chose to schedule surgery. I am not the surgery type. I normally don’t even take aspirin and believe yoga can heal lots. But I can’t live like this. Yoga saves me every day. I don’t know how I would survive without being able to practice my yoga and take walks for a year or more. Also, even if I did avoid any exercise (!) would I ever be able to do deep knee bending poses again? I am quite flexible and practice good alignment. For those who forwent surgery does it actually heal? I heard the lack of blood flow in cartiledge makes healing hard or impossible. in this case surgery seems like a good option. What am I missing? Thanks for any light you can shed.

#2

Recovery without surgery takes a long time, and the threat of re-injuring yourself is always there. With that said I am not telling you what you need to do, I am only telling you what I went through when I tore my meniscus in 2 place and did not go for surgery

#3

Hola Gilly.
November 2106, I fell in a squat and heard a huge pop in my knee. After that…I finished my yoga class, and in about an hour I couldnt walk or bend my knee. I didn’t want to do surgery, thinking it would heal by itself…so i suffered with it for 2months. i then went to see a sports Dr. and he told me if it didn’t heal in 2 months, it wasn’t going to heal on its own. So again, I waited another 2 months not walking,doing no yoga, just swimming everyday. I could barely walk.
After 4 months of this, I decided to have the surgery.
I am an avid yoga practioner, and do all the poses u mentioned, including lotus.
I really wanted to walk again, and my knee couldn’t bend or extend…so I decided to have the surgery. It was laproscopic. Dr. said 6 weeks, i would be up and around.
Well, fast forward to 11 months since the surgery. Recovery period for me extremely slow. Am only now walking better, with no pain. Cannot do the above mentioned poses, and some of them I don’t think I will be able to do like lotus. But, i dont care.
I can do some standing poses, balancing poses, squats (not all the way yet). and I keep getting stronger. My routing is weights ,bike, cardio,1 hour. 1 hour yoga, and swimming. I have been doing this roughly 9 months. (tired).
But, I am grateful to be able to bend the knee and , walk again.
It does actually heal, (I never thought mine would and was very depressed for a long time). It depends on your age, etc.
I am glad I did it, because i have no other options.
It was impacting my other knee.
So, if u cant walk u have to do something.
Not walking isn’t an option right?
Take supplements, do the exercises.
Good luck.
Vera