In this episode of Ask Coach Parry podcast, we’ve got an injury related question. It’s something we touched on in the past, but the question submitted by Natalie Griqua, Lindsey, Natalie wants to know, is it wise to run marathons after you’ve had this surgery?

Can I run marathons after Meniscus surgery?

Lindsey Parry: It depends on the damage that was on that meniscus, look, many sports people in sports like American football, rugby, soccer, they get meniscal tears, those tears get cleared up and they then go on to compete with some degrees of success, some not, so I don’t think there’s a problem with the running per se, but it is a good idea to figure out what caused that meniscal tear, how bad was it.

Are we talking about a little ‘parrot beak’ tear, or was there like significant cleaning that was done because if there was significant cleaning or part of the meniscus was removed, then you do have to accept that over the years, that that wear and tear is going to cause some kind of osteoarthritis in the joint and if that is the case, then you’re probably better suited to doing a non impact sport, something like cycling.

How do I get back into training after surgery?

Provided it was a minor tear, minor clean up, you should be able to start running, I’m going to give a wide range, but really it is 6-12 weeks and your doctor would probably prefer 12 weeks, but if you are in the care of a rehabilitation specialist, physio or biokineticist, they may be able to guide you to start running a little bit sooner, depending on how the rehab is going, but also going forward, I would definitely add some strength training into your routine so that you can make sure that that knee joint is as stable as possible, so that you get as little irritation of that meniscus in the future as possible.

BB: Thank you very much for that question, as Lindsey says, it’s a case by case thing and it’s probably best to consult your medical practitioner and do what’s right for you. Lindsey, thanks so much for your time here on the Ask Coach Parry podcast today, we’re back again in just a couple of days time. Until then, from the two of us, it’s cheers. [/membership]