mkaczoro

Hey Jeff,

Great topic and questions!

I am a physiotherapist with 15 years experience and have been practising Bikram yoga for 5 years!

Meniscal injuries are very common, and often will settle with appropriate hands on treatment, corrective exercise and avoidance of aggravating activities!

The first thing to understand is that the musculoskeletal body functions as a whole! So for example, a problem with your foot, or your lumbo-pelvic-hip region can cause and perpetuate problems in your knee!

A very common finding is that if you lack adequate flexibility in your hip joint, especially external and internal rotation, then often your knee joint will rotate to “make up” or compensate for the lack of movement in your hip! Now knee joints are hinge joints, meaning they straighten and bend, and are not designed to rotate! This over a period of time can lead to break down of the meniscus!

Another common scenario are muscle imbalances – this means some muscles start working more (and usually get tight) as they are compensating for weakness elsewhere . As the saying goes, “the rich get richer, the poor get poorer”, similarly overworking muscles continue overworking and weak muscles get weaker! These muscle imbalances often alter the subtle mechanics of a joint!

I would recommend seeking the assistance of a knowledgeable physiotherapist in your area, to perform a thorough bio-mechanical assessment of your whole lower limbs.

A carefully prescribed corrective exercise program, in conjunction with joint mobilisation and soft tissue release techniques , can rapidly reduce your pain, and most importantly educate you regarding long term management of your knees so you can enjoy the benefits of hot yoga, your running and improving your flexibility!

Great luck!

Mat