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Knee injuries are very common at work

A torn meniscus is an injury to the cartilage in your knee joints. This type of injury can happen from many types of activities, mostly those where you forcefully twist or rotate your knee. Putting pressure of your full weight, deep squatting, kneeling, or even sudden stops and turns can also cause a torn meniscus. Knee injuries are common in factory work environments, because there is generally a lot of heavy lifting and moving involved with that type of job.

Symptoms you can look for or that may occur are:
• Popping sensations
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Pain while twisting or rotating your knee
• Difficulty fully straightening your knee

If you experience any of these symptoms you should be seen by your doctor for further testing. If you do go to the doctor most likely your doctor will take x-rays of your knee or perform an MRI to see the extent of the damage done to your knee joints. Your doctor may need to go into your knee for further examination; this is done with an arthroscope. An arthroscope is inserted through a tiny incision near your knee. It contains a small camera and tiny light so the doctor can view your injury better on an enlarged screen.

If you are diagnosed with a torn meniscus treatment options for this type of injury are commonly non-surgical, they include resting and avoiding any activities that may cause you more pain or worsen your symptoms. Icing the injured area can help reduce any swelling or pain you may be having. You can always use over the counter pain relievers to help as well.

Physical therapy can help to strengthen and stabilize muscles around your knee or you can use arch supports or other inserts in your shoe to help decrease the stress put on your knee when you walk. Surgery is an option if your knee remains sore, stiff, or locked. It’s not always possible to completely repair a torn meniscus; if it can’t be repaired the doctor will trim it this type of surgery is also performed with an arthroscope. Open-knee surgery is also an option, but the recovery time is a lot longer than having arthroscopic surgery performed.

Dealing with a workers’ compensation case can be confusing due to the complexity of the law, if you or someone you know has been hurt at work our attorneys at Walker, Billingsley & Bair are here to answer your questions. We are dedicated to giving your case the personal attention that it needs. Iowa injury attorney, Corey J.L. Walker practices primarily in workers’ compensation cases and has helped hundreds of Iowans recover millions of dollars.

Learn more about how to deal with your work injury:
Visit our Injured Iowan Website
Watch a video about dealing with your work injury claim
Request a Free copy of our Iowa Workers’ Compensation Book
Contact Walker, Billingsley & Bair about a free consultation