Introduction
Before letting you know how to sleep after meniscus surgery, we’ll talk a little about what is meniscus surgery. Well, a tear in the meniscus, usually known as a cartilage tear, is often called meniscus surgery. Meniscus-type cartilage occurs in a couple of joints in your body, but it is mainly noticed as the knee’s cartilage. Meniscus tears are average in young people who participate in high-impact athletics and in aged people where degenerative tears happen. However, you may not go through surgery in every situation. But if after 3 days of icing your knee, keeping up your feet, and keeping the leg high up doesn’t reduce the pain and swelling, it may be time to admit for meniscus surgery.
If you go through this surgery, you’ll need to struggle to get a good night’s sleep. But if you know how you need to sleep after meniscus surgery, it may reduce your discomfort. That’s why we’re here to discuss how to sleep after meniscus surgery.
How to sleep after meniscus surgery?
Identifying the proper sleeping position could be a significant point for a meniscus surgery patient. Let’s reveal the top sleeping position as a solution to how to sleep after meniscus surgery.
Best Sleeping Position after Meniscus Surgery:
- Sleep On A Mattress
Sleeping on a mattress could be the best meniscus tear sleeping position for a post-meniscus surgery patient. But it would help if you choose a mattress that is enough soft for your surgical legs. You should also ensure that the bed you select for use after meniscus surgery is firm enough to avoid developing new pain.
N.B. Don’t buy a mattress that is too soft to hold the spine properly. At the same time, don’t go for a bed, which is too firm to keep more pressure on your hips, knees, and other joint areas.
- Using A Pillow
If you want to keep your legs elevated after surgery, using a pillow could be an easy and inexpensive option. A pillow can be highly supportive to your knee when elevating your legs pointed towards the roof after meniscus surgery knee still hurts
N.B. Using two to three pillows could be comfortable for your surgical legs. Don’t keep pillows behind the knees after meniscus surgery knee still hurts.
- Sleep On Your Back, With Legs Elevated
The best meniscus tear sleeping position for a meniscus surgery patient is sleeping on the back with legs elevated. Elevating legs will increase blood flow, which is suitable for post-surgery patients. If you want to avoid any sleeping turns of the knee, it is advisable to keep your legs pointed toward the upright position.
N.B. Sleeping on your back and keeping the leg elevated for a few days will help you to reduce pain, swelling, bleeding, and infection.
- Sleep In A Zero-Gravity Reclining Chair
Sleep in a Zero-gravity reclining chair plays a significant role for a patient with Meniscus Surgery.
According to the study, if you want to have healthy blood circulation after meniscus surgery while sleeping, opting for a zero-gravity reclining chair could be the best choice. Choosing a reclining chair is also useful for avoiding infection formation.
N.B. Sleeping in a reclining chair will keep your knee stabilized, which is essential for a few days after knee surgery.
Knee problems after meniscus surgery:
According to the Orthopedic Surgeon in Hawthorne (Howard J. Luks, MD), you may experience knee problems and pain after meniscus repair surgery.
Though the success rate of meniscus surgery is typically high, not everyone gets relief from knee pain. So, it isn’t wondering that your knee still hurts after arthroscopy. You’ll find several reasons that may cause discomfort after this surgery.
- One of the most common symptoms after knee surgery is continuous swelling that extends the inflammation.
- Another uncommon cause of pain after meniscus surgery is untreated infection.
- The mechanical malformation of knee function can develop pain in the knee joint after surgery.
- Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK) can cause inflammation around the knee joint.
- The most common reason patients have persistent pain after arthroscopic knee surgery is that their knee has damage to the joint cartilage that can’t be adequately repaired by an arthroscopic procedure.
- The most significant reason for having pain after knee repair surgery is arthritis problem (Osteoarthritis) in the joint.
Conclusion:
There you have the details on how to sleep after meniscus surgery. Also, it is advisable to roll to the non-surgery area when it comes to sleeping after surgery. Once you have any problem sleeping on your back, you can try on the trick to roll to the non-surgery side.
Most important, don’t try to bend your knee. If you face further problems, please don’t be late to talk with your doctor. Finally, if you have any concerns, please let us know by leaving a comment below.
For more information regarding how to sleep after meniscus surgery check out here.
FAQ:
How long after meniscus surgery can I walk?
After getting relief from meniscus surgery, you can increase your motion range, bear weight, and leave the knee support behind.
But how fast you get relief from this unwanted condition depends on the surgeon. Usually, it needs 4 to 8 weeks to experience progress. Typically, within 60 to 90 days, a patient can walk after meniscus surgery.
N.B. Some studies also reveal that around 6 to 8 weeks, people in the strenuous profession can get back to their duty.
Is walking well after meniscus surgery?
By using a walker or crutches, you can walk after meniscus surgery. But never try to walk within a few days after surgery. However, after 1-2 weeks later, it is good for walking after arthroscopic knee surgery. Some patient claims that it is good to start walking after 4 to 6 weeks of surgery.
Can you bend your knee after meniscus surgery?
Yes, you can bend your knee after meniscus surgery. But you can’t exceed 90° of bend at the knee.
How long does the knee stay swollen after meniscus surgery?
Swelling increases slowly over two to three days after surgery. Usually, you may suffer from pain due to swelling up to 2 to 3 weeks after surgery. Sometimes the pain in the knee due to swelling can last up to 6 weeks.
How long does it take to recover from torn meniscus surgery?
The meniscus repair recovery time varies depending on some specific things. If your knee isn’t painful or swollen or if you’ve recovered motion, then you don’t need to wait over 4 to 6 weeks to get relief from torn meniscus surgery. However, you may need to wait for 3 to 6 months if the knee condition is worse.
What is the fastest way to recover from meniscus surgery?
After meniscus surgery, a patient should go through a process, including rest, ice compression, and legs elevation. Strictly applying this method could be the fastest way to recover from meniscus surgery.
Besides, you need to continue inflammation and pain medication simultaneously to stimulate the meniscus repair recovery process.
What can you not do after meniscus surgery?
After meniscus surgery, you are not allowed to do the following things.
• Though you feel tired, you can’t take a rest.
• You are not allowed to raise your leg as much as possible for a couple of days after surgery.
• If your doctor doesn’t recommend it, you can’t shower. Within 24 – 48 hours, it is advisable to avoid bathing after knee surgery.
• Without crutches or brace, you shouldn’t stand.
• Use a pillow while sleeping with a knee brace to get the best effect.
What can I expect after meniscus surgery?
Within an hour, the meniscus surgery lasts for meniscal tears. After surgery, when a patient feels comfortable, can walk, consume fluids orally, and urinate.
Also, with the care of an adult, they can be discharged to go home. Unluckily, you can even experience knee pain 1 year after meniscus surgery.
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