An X-Ray last week revealed that I have a tear in the meniscus of my left knee - this happened on the tennis court and possibly is a result of lots of wear and tear on the court. My doctor didn't recommend surgery, just physical therapy and taking as much rest as possible. Has anyone here experienced this? Any words of wisdom?

Had that injury to my right knee about 10 years ago. And the physician said we could do surgery, but that with rest and rehabilitation it would probably heal without surgery. And it did. I have no pain or problems with the knee.

The hardest part was being patient in letting my body heal. Because I don't like sitting around. But I like pain and surgery even less, so I adapted. Hope you get connected with a good PT, and that it goes well for you.

Btw, my opponent hit a dastardly shot behind me...I tried to stop and change directions...and it gave way. We weren't even playing on clay. Since then, I change directions with my body more than just my knees.

Thanks Good Hands...I'm not very patient with resting either but...I don't want to risk long term or having to have surgery.

Have the patience man. Remember, if you rest it now, then do your PT, you should be back in time for Wimbledon. Maybe even the French. With a whole summer left to play.

I too had a small meniscus tear confirmed by an MRI.

When I met with the specialist, he discussed at length the controversy about treating this injury. He advised me to take a conservative approach, meaning no surgery -- just rehab and rest.

The specialist told me the injury would not heal because there is no blood flow in the meniscus. He said our goal would be for the injury to stabilize.

So I developed an intimate relationship with my heating pad, made numerous visits to the whirlpool at the gym, and popped big doses of ibuprofen. I was allowed to exercise so long as it didn't hurt -- which meant I could work on the Nordic Track ski machine, and that was all. No running, no cycling, no stair climber, no rowing machine. The Nordic was boring as hell, but it kept my spirits up by letting me feel I was maintaining some of my conditioning.

After 16 long weeks, I started running again (gradually) and have never had any problem with the injury since.

Be patient with your rehab, Bryan. It is possible to get past this injury!

Thanks, Dasher, I appreciate hearing your story. Rest and Rehab! It's staying off the tennis court that's going to be difficult.

Bryan:

I am going to join you- except I have a grade 2 ACL tear with LCL and meniscal involvement. My rehab has been unsuccessful and I am getting an MRI with contrast to make sure of the detailed status of my knee.

What I would like to recommend to you, though- is perhaps you can do what I did with a previous injury (high school).... I hit a tennis ball against a wall only 8-10 feet away... strictly working on my net game and racket speed. It helped me tremendously and my reaction time was incredible when I returned to the court. I played #1 doubles and used to love when they would hit right at me and I could block the ball at the net man or open court to their surprise.

Honestly- it works- and you should be able to do it without much torque to the knee or the meniscus...

I am also a P.T., so feel free to email me with any questions you might have.

Thanks, Kick. I have a hitting wall near my house and it's been in the back of my mind that I'd never be able to stay away from it for weeks and weeks...though of course there's little sign that the rain is ever going to stop here in SF...at least I picked the right weather season to take down time. I've worn a wrap around my knee the last couple days and it's made a difference.

Kick, is there a specific knee brace/wrap that's better than the others? My doctor recommended buying one. I have my first PT appt. next week..