♪ Bob and Brad ♪
♪ Bob and Brad ♪

♪ The two most famous physical therapists ♪
♪ The two most famous physical therapists ♪

♪ On the internet ♪
♪ On the internet ♪

- Hi folks, I'm Bob Schrupp, physical therapist.
- Hi folks, I'm Bob Schrupp, physical therapist.

- Brad Heineck, physical therapist.
- Brad Heineck, physical therapist.

- Together we are the most famous physical therapists
- Together we are the most famous physical therapists

on the internet.
on the internet.

- In our opinion, of course, Bob.
- In our opinion, of course, Bob.

- Today, we're gonna talk about
- Today, we're gonna talk about

"Can my knee cartilage tear heal?"
"Can my knee cartilage tear heal?"

And when saying my, we're saying your.
And when saying my, we're saying your.

Can your knee cartilage heal?
Can your knee cartilage heal?

- Right. - Tear.
- Right. - Tear.

- Ours can but theirs can't?
- Ours can but theirs can't?

- No, there's will.
- No, there's will.

We'll go into that. - Okay, very good.
We'll go into that. - Okay, very good.

- So when you have a tear in your cartilage,
- So when you have a tear in your cartilage,

it could be from a sporting event,
it could be from a sporting event,

or unfortunately, as you get older,
or unfortunately, as you get older,

it can just happen with age.
it can just happen with age.

- Yeah. - Oh, joy, Brad.
- Yeah. - Oh, joy, Brad.

One more thing to look forward to.
One more thing to look forward to.

- But I think it often there's a twisting
- But I think it often there's a twisting

or some kind of stress on it that maybe...
or some kind of stress on it that maybe...

But not always. - Not always.
But not always. - Not always.

My wife's a good example.
My wife's a good example.

Three years ago, she, all of a sudden, had extreme pain
Three years ago, she, all of a sudden, had extreme pain

in her knee.
in her knee.

She was on crutches.
She was on crutches.

So, and it was a cartilage tear.
So, and it was a cartilage tear.

I mean, or a piece of-
I mean, or a piece of-

- Yeah, but your wife, rollerbladed from Twin Cities
- Yeah, but your wife, rollerbladed from Twin Cities

to Duluth or something like that.
to Duluth or something like that.

- There's no stress on your knee when you're rollerblading.
- There's no stress on your knee when you're rollerblading.

- I beg to differ. (chuckles)
- I beg to differ. (chuckles)

Anyways, we're talking about cartilage.
Anyways, we're talking about cartilage.

So, but we're really referring to the meniscus cartilage
So, but we're really referring to the meniscus cartilage

versus the cartilage at part of the bone.
versus the cartilage at part of the bone.

Yeah. - Yes.
Yeah. - Yes.

And do you wanna show? - Oh, sure.
And do you wanna show? - Oh, sure.

So if we're looking at the knee joint here,
So if we're looking at the knee joint here,

this is to patella with the tendon
this is to patella with the tendon

and we're gonna pull that off
and we're gonna pull that off

so you can look inside the knee.
so you can look inside the knee.

You'll see this blue area is the ACL, that's the ligament.
You'll see this blue area is the ACL, that's the ligament.

We're looking at this.
We're looking at this.

It's probably hard to see
It's probably hard to see

because it's kind of white on white.
because it's kind of white on white.

- [Bob] Is that supposed to be a tear, Brad?
- [Bob] Is that supposed to be a tear, Brad?

- [Brad] I believe so. We just drew that in there.
- [Brad] I believe so. We just drew that in there.

That's a tear in the cartilage.
That's a tear in the cartilage.

- The cartilage, can it heal?
- The cartilage, can it heal?

I'm gonna say as a general rule, it does not heal well.
I'm gonna say as a general rule, it does not heal well.

- Yeah, it's a very slow healing process
- Yeah, it's a very slow healing process

- If it's gonna heal at all. - If it does.
- If it's gonna heal at all. - If it does.

- And if you're looking again at the cartilage,
- And if you're looking again at the cartilage,

it tends to more heal better
it tends to more heal better

on the outside of the cartilage,
on the outside of the cartilage,

because there's a little more circulation there.
because there's a little more circulation there.

- [Brad] There's a little more blood flow.
- [Brad] There's a little more blood flow.

That's where it is.
That's where it is.

- The other thing that can affect how well it heals
- The other thing that can affect how well it heals

is the type of tear.
is the type of tear.

The worst type of tear,
The worst type of tear,

and that's what Brad was alluded to,
and that's what Brad was alluded to,

is the tear that gets folded up.
is the tear that gets folded up.

- Right.
- Right.

- Because, think about it,
- Because, think about it,

there's not that much space in the knee.
there's not that much space in the knee.

And if your cartilage gets rolled up a little bit,
And if your cartilage gets rolled up a little bit,

it's gonna block the knee from moving.
it's gonna block the knee from moving.

- Right. - It's gonna get locked
- Right. - It's gonna get locked

or you're gonna feel pain whenever you move the knee.
or you're gonna feel pain whenever you move the knee.

- Because it should be smooth
- Because it should be smooth

and you get that fold, it creates a bump.
and you get that fold, it creates a bump.

I've heard a lot of people,
I've heard a lot of people,

they've talked about a locking up
they've talked about a locking up

and I don't spend a lot of time with it typically.
and I don't spend a lot of time with it typically.

- Right. - So go get it looked at.
- Right. - So go get it looked at.

See what's going on. - Because quite often,
See what's going on. - Because quite often,

you're gonna be headed for surgery if that's the case,
you're gonna be headed for surgery if that's the case,

unless it works a way out. - Right.
unless it works a way out. - Right.

- That's probably one of the few times
- That's probably one of the few times

you're gonna require surgery for a cartilage.
you're gonna require surgery for a cartilage.

Unless it's so bad that you need a knee replacement.
Unless it's so bad that you need a knee replacement.

- Right.
- Right.

You know, I think if it is just cartilage,
You know, I think if it is just cartilage,

sometimes they can go in orthoscopically,
sometimes they can go in orthoscopically,

clean it out just to remove that bump.
clean it out just to remove that bump.

- Right. Exactly. - Yeah.
- Right. Exactly. - Yeah.

And in all, maybe they're doing less of that too, I imagine.
And in all, maybe they're doing less of that too, I imagine.

- No, if it's locking up they're doing it.
- No, if it's locking up they're doing it.

- The question is, can my knee cartilage tear heal?
- The question is, can my knee cartilage tear heal?

Question really should be, does your knee hurt?
Question really should be, does your knee hurt?

'Cause if it doesn't really hurt,
'Cause if it doesn't really hurt,

you can function without the knee cartilage
you can function without the knee cartilage

being totally intact. - Sure.
being totally intact. - Sure.

- It can be a tear. So no worries.
- It can be a tear. So no worries.

You know, like we alluded to, does the knee lock up?
You know, like we alluded to, does the knee lock up?

Then it's a problem. - Right.
Then it's a problem. - Right.

- You need to go in.
- You need to go in.

Does your knee lack motion? Same problem.
Does your knee lack motion? Same problem.

If it's blocking the motion, you need to go in.
If it's blocking the motion, you need to go in.

- Particularly, if you're straighten the knee all the way
- Particularly, if you're straighten the knee all the way

and you're lacking 5 or 10 degrees of full extension,
and you're lacking 5 or 10 degrees of full extension,

it's gonna change the mechanics of the knee,
it's gonna change the mechanics of the knee,

particularly with walking.
particularly with walking.

- Does your knee feel weak?
- Does your knee feel weak?

Now in that instance, you could probably do something.
Now in that instance, you could probably do something.

You're gonna strengthen the muscles on it.
You're gonna strengthen the muscles on it.

We got plenty of videos on that
We got plenty of videos on that

on how to strengthen the knee.
on how to strengthen the knee.

Just check it out. - Yeah.
Just check it out. - Yeah.

- Well, we might as well talk about it.
- Well, we might as well talk about it.

If you go to our program section of Bob and Brad.
If you go to our program section of Bob and Brad.

- [Brad] That's our website.
- [Brad] That's our website.

- [Bob] Go to the website and you'll find in that section,
- [Bob] Go to the website and you'll find in that section,

we have a whole bunch of programs on specific topics.
we have a whole bunch of programs on specific topics.

- Right. - One topic is on knee pain.
- Right. - One topic is on knee pain.

- [Brad] Right.
- [Brad] Right.

- [Bob] And this video is part of that.
- [Bob] And this video is part of that.

And as a part of each video, what do we include, Brad?
And as a part of each video, what do we include, Brad?

- [Bob] Right.
- [Bob] Right.

Well, you go down, like on that one,
Well, you go down, like on that one,

you'd find the title that says "Strengthening the Knee".
you'd find the title that says "Strengthening the Knee".

Go to there.
Go to there.

We have actually a PDF printout
We have actually a PDF printout

that prints out the review
that prints out the review

of the whole video, the exercises,
of the whole video, the exercises,

and it works wonderfully.
and it works wonderfully.

You don't have to go back and look at the video
You don't have to go back and look at the video

every time you try to remember the exercise.
every time you try to remember the exercise.

There's absolutely no charge, no cost, not even an email.
There's absolutely no charge, no cost, not even an email.

It's just a free program. That's a gift.
It's just a free program. That's a gift.

- Our gift to you. - Right.
- Our gift to you. - Right.

- So going on with this now, Brad.
- So going on with this now, Brad.

Again, can my knee cartilage tear heal?
Again, can my knee cartilage tear heal?

We decided most cases not.
We decided most cases not.

But you know, one of the questions,
But you know, one of the questions,

if you're having a lot of pain,
if you're having a lot of pain,

we would recommend trying a crutch or walker or a cane
we would recommend trying a crutch or walker or a cane

for a while and see if you get it to calm down.
for a while and see if you get it to calm down.

- Sure. - Maybe it's just swollen up.
- Sure. - Maybe it's just swollen up.

So give it a go.
So give it a go.

That's what my wife did.
That's what my wife did.

She was on crutches for quite a while
She was on crutches for quite a while

and then she went to walking sticks.
and then she went to walking sticks.

That was three years ago.
That was three years ago.

She was crying at the time.
She was crying at the time.

She thought, "I'm gonna get a knee replacement."
She thought, "I'm gonna get a knee replacement."

She's running. She ran this morning.
She's running. She ran this morning.

- She did?
- She did?

- Yep, she ran around the lake.
- Yep, she ran around the lake.

Finally, does the knee swell up? Same thing.
Finally, does the knee swell up? Same thing.

If it's swelling up,
If it's swelling up,

take some of the pressure off of it for a while
take some of the pressure off of it for a while

- Right. - and see how it handles.
- Right. - and see how it handles.

In summary, it really may not matter if there's a tear
In summary, it really may not matter if there's a tear

in your knee cartilage.
in your knee cartilage.

And the question is how you can handle it,
And the question is how you can handle it,

whether you can handle it or not, and calm it down.
whether you can handle it or not, and calm it down.

- What the symptoms are? - Right. Right.
- What the symptoms are? - Right. Right.

So, unfortunately again,
So, unfortunately again,

it can be a process of aging and...
it can be a process of aging and...

Brad, I know that all too well. (chuckles)
Brad, I know that all too well. (chuckles)

Add on a few years to you and things start to break down.
Add on a few years to you and things start to break down.

- Every decade is another step.
- Every decade is another step.

Another chapter in the human body.
Another chapter in the human body.

- Another challenge. (chuckles)
- Another challenge. (chuckles)

Thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching.

(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)