The Made 2 Move Podcast · Hannah Breal - Physical Therapist

Torn Meniscus? Here’s What Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You

·24 min·1 clip

Your function and symptoms matter way more than the imaging or the diagnosis of meniscus tear.

1. The Made 2 Move Podcast episode on torn meniscus focuses on knee pain, surgery decisions, and rehabilitation choices. 2. Hannah is the physical therapist host, and she says she is there 'to help you take ownership of your health and fitness' in Charleston. 3. The episode asks what a meniscus tear diagnosis actually means for surgery, pain, and return to movement. 4. Hannah says many people come in scared after hearing they have a meniscus tear on imaging. 5. She describes her own college knee pain and says she worried that walking, running, and squatting were making the tear worse. 6. She says that understanding the diagnosis changed after she became a physical therapist and started working with clients with meniscus tears. 7. On surgery, she says 'most meniscus tears can totally heal on their own without surgery' and cites a 2020 study on partial meniscectomy. 8. She says that study found 'no added benefit across five years' compared with placebo surgery. 9. She also cites a 2022 review showing 'little to no benefit' of arthroscopic surgery for degenerative tears. 10. She says degenerative tears are common and compares them to 'wrinkles on the inside.' 11. She argues that imaging is only a snapshot and does not tell her about function, symptoms, strength, range of motion, or goals. 12. She says pain does not always correlate with damage and is often a sign of irritation during healing. 13. She uses the example of a tissue healing process as a 'little construction site' that becomes more sensitive. 14. She gives a working pain guide of staying below about 'three or four out of 10' and having symptoms return to baseline after exercise or by the next day. 15. She says movements like running, jumping, lunging, squatting, and playing sports are not off-limits forever. 16. She explains that rehab should restore range of motion, strength, single-leg stability, plyometrics, and a return-to-play plan. 17. The episode uses an interview-style teaching format, but Hannah carries the discussion as a solo host with detailed clinical examples. 18. The energy is practical and explanatory, with repeated recap sections and exercise examples from a tennis player case. 19. Listeners dealing with knee pain, sports rehab, or surgery decisions will get the most from this. 20. People wanting short entertainment without rehab detail may skip it.

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