Swimming After a Torn Meniscus: Helpful or Harmful?

A meniscus tear is a rip in the cartilage inside your knee, often caused by a sudden, acute trauma, such as twisting your knee during sports, according to Mayo Clinic.

A tear can also happen during everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs, usually as a result of aging or arthritis, according to an article published in 2023 in the Journal of Arthroscopy.

Swimming can be a helpful form of rehabilitation, according to Massachusetts General Hospital's protocol for meniscal repair.

But swimming, like any physical exercise, can increase the pain and damage of a meniscus tear if not introduced properly following the injury.

Features of a Meniscus Tear

A meniscus tear is a rip in the C-shaped cartilage in your knee, which acts as a shock absorber between the shin and thigh bone, according to Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms include swelling, along with stiffness and pain that worsens with squatting, pivoting, and vigorous activities. In more severe meniscus tears, instability — in which the knee feels wobbly or loose — may occur.

You may also experience a complication known as “locked knee,” where torn meniscus fragments get caught in the joint and cause the knee to become immobile, according to a review published in 2023 in StatPearls.

If you think you have a meniscus tear, consult your doctor, who can diagnose a torn meniscus by physical examination. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound may also be used.

Treatment Before You Start Exercising

Cleveland Clinic notes that your doctor may recommend the RICE method of treatment in the days following your injury. RICE stands for:

• Rest: Keeping weight off of the leg as much as possible
• Ice: Applying an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel (a few times a day, for 20 minutes at a time)
• Compression: Using an elastic compression bandage to reduce swelling
• Elevation: Resting with your leg resting higher than your heart to further decrease swelling

Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and swelling. They may also refer you to a physical therapist.

If your injury doesn't improve with RICE, pain medication, and physical therapy — or if the injury is severe — your healthcare provider may recommend surgery, notes Cleveland Clinic.

You should always speak with your doctor or physical therapist before starting rehabilitation exercises like swimming, especially following surgery.

The Benefits of Swimming as Rehabilitation

Aquatic exercise, which includes swimming but describes all movement in water, can be a useful tool for your recovery from a meniscus tear, according to Mayo Clinic.

This is because water's buoyancy decreases your body weight by half, significantly reducing the amount of weight you're putting on the injured meniscus. Water also provides additional support if you are feeling unbalanced, notes Mayo Clinic.

Importantly for rebuilding strength and endurance, water creates a natural resistance against that body that allows for weight-less strength training, with far less pressure on the joints.

When Should You Start Swimming?

Swimming, which is both aerobic and low-impact, can play an important role in recovery from a torn meniscus, including after surgery.

Massachusetts General Hospital recommends adding swimming to your recovery six to nine weeks following surgery on a torn meniscus, but recovery time varies person to person.

Whether or not you have surgery, it's best to consult your doctor or physical therapist before getting in the water.