Knee injuries are very common injuries and can persist for years unless treatment is properly addressed. Anyone who has had one will tell you that they are incredibly painful and very hard to heal.

The knee joint is made up of many ligaments and tendons that support your weight and the wide range of movements you perform everyday. Injury to any one of these supports can result in a long period of treatment and rehab.

The meniscus provides even weight distribution across the knee joint effectively protecting your bones from excessive force and severe arthritis. The meniscus is a tough cartilage that rests in between the thigh bone and shin bone on either side of the knee. In younger people a meniscus tear most commonly occurs when under weight the knee is twisted forcefully. In adults a meniscus injury is more of a degenerative process; as the cartilage becomes brittle even a minor injury could tear the cartilage.

Ligament tears are also very common knee injuries; the knee joint includes support from three main ligaments: the ACL, LCL and MCL. The Anterior Cruciate ligament, supporting rotational and forward movements, is reportedly the most commonly injured ligament in sport. The Lateral Collateral Ligament stabilizes the outside of the knee, while the Medial Collateral Ligament stabilizes the inside of the knee.

Once you have a meniscus or ligament tear, you have an increased risk of developing knee arthritis, because these supports are weakened. Especially in the case of meniscus tears; they slowly wear away with knee movements and are unable to protect your articular cartilage on the surface of the knee joint as much as before.

In the injuries initial stages it is important to reduce the swelling in the area and to control the pain as much as you can. The RCCE (Rest Cold Compression Elevation) method has long been a tried and true treatment for soft tissue injuries. The best way to heal is to reduce swelling; the RCCE method facilitates this as well as a quicker healing time.

During your recovery, you will probably have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort in your knee area until your pain and inflammation settle

Small tears in the meniscus or ligament stretches may go completely unnoticed and will most likely heal themselves. The meniscus and ligaments do not have a lot of access to blood supply and so more serious treatments will need to be considered.

Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy^™ increases blood flow eliminating cell waste and supplying the injury with the nutrients it might otherwise not receive enough of.