How Do Allied Health Experts at MD Health in Doncaster Assess Damage to the Menisci of the Knee?

At MD Health in Doncaster, the allied health experts often help people with knee problems, especially injuries related to the menisci of the knee. The menisci are two C-shaped pieces of cartilage that sit inside your knee joint. They act as cushions between your thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia), helping your knee move smoothly and absorb shock. When the menisci get damaged, it can cause pain, swelling, and trouble moving the knee.

Let’s look at how the experts at MD Health check for damage to the menisci and what steps they take to support your recovery.

1. Listening to Your History

The first thing allied health professionals do is listen carefully to your story. They ask:

• When did the pain start?

• Did you hear a popping sound?

• Was there swelling or locking of the knee?

• What were you doing when the injury happened?
  

These questions give important clues about whether the menisci may be injured. For example, twisting your knee while playing sport or squatting deeply can sometimes cause a tear.

2. Observing How You Move

The way you walk and move tells the health team a lot. They’ll ask you to walk, bend your knee, and do simple movements. Watching how you do these helps them see if there’s any weakness, pain, or odd movement that points to a problem inside the knee.

They will check:

• Do you limp?

• Can you bend and straighten the knee fully?

• Does your knee click, catch or give way?
  

3. Feeling the Knee (Palpation)

Next, the health expert will feel around your knee with their hands. This helps them find:

• Tender points (pain when touched)

• Swelling around the joint

• Heat or fluid buildup
  

If the area around the menisci feels sore, it may be a sign of injury.

4. Special Knee Tests

To test the menisci more deeply, the allied health experts use certain hands-on tests. These include:

• McMurray’s Test – The knee is bent and moved in different directions to see if it clicks or hurts.

• Thessaly Test – You stand on one leg and twist slowly to see if pain is felt.

• Joint Line Tenderness – The expert presses along the joint line to find soreness.
  

These tests help show if the menisci are torn or damaged. If any of these tests cause sharp pain or a locking feeling, it may be a strong sign of a meniscus injury.

5. Testing Knee Strength and Muscle Control

The health expert also checks the strength of your leg muscles, especially around the thigh (quadriceps) and back of the leg (hamstrings). Good muscle control supports the knee and can ease pressure on the menisci.

They may ask you to:

• Do a single-leg squat

• Hold a balance position

• Step up or down from a small step
  

These exercises test if the knee stays stable and supported during movement.

6. Looking at Past Injuries and Activity Levels

If you’ve had knee problems before or play lots of sport, that information matters. The team will ask about:

• Past injuries or surgeries

• Sports and exercise habits

• Your job and daily movements
  

This helps them work out why the injury happened and how to stop it happening again.

7. Referral for Scans (If Needed)

In some cases, the experts might recommend further scans like:

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) – Shows soft tissues like cartilage and menisci in great detail.

• X-Ray – Checks bone alignment and rules out bone injury.

While these aren’t always needed, they can give extra detail when the hands-on assessment is not clear.

8. Creating a Plan to Help You Recover

Once the assessment is complete, the allied health expert will talk with you about a recovery plan. This may include:

• Rest and avoiding painful activities

• Ice or heat therapy

• Hands-on treatment for pain and swelling

• Specific exercises to improve movement and strength
  

The goal is to help you move better, reduce pain, and prevent further damage to the menisci.

9. Using Reformer Pilates for Recovery

One of the best tools used at MD Health in Doncaster is Reformer Pilates. This gentle form of exercise helps build strength around your knee without putting too much pressure on it. It focuses on:

• Core control

• Muscle balance

• Safe, supported movement
  

Many people find it very helpful during their recovery. It supports the knee while building strength in the legs and hips, which helps protect the menisci.

10. Follow-Up Checks

Knee recovery takes time, especially when the menisci are involved. The team at MD Health regularly checks your progress and makes changes to your plan if needed. They may slowly increase your exercises or change them based on how your knee is healing.

Final Words

Injuries to the menisci of the knee can be painful and stop you from doing what you love. At MD Health in Doncaster, the allied health experts use simple, clear steps to understand what’s going on in your knee. They listen to your story, watch how you move, test your muscles, and use hands-on checks to find the cause of the problem.

If you're dealing with a sore knee or think you may have injured your menisci, visit Reformer Pilates in Doncaster from MD Health. It’s a smart step toward a stronger, healthier knee in a supportive and friendly setting.