Meniscus

Published on Locomotor system.

The meniscus is a joint cartilage between two bones.

Knee

Published on Locomotor system.

The knee is a joint. Joints lend mobility to the body. The bones of the joints are kept in place by ligaments and tendons that only allow normal movement. Muscles also help determine joint stability. The joint is enclosed in a fibrous capsule filled with a thin membrane that constantly produces a small amount of fluid; this fluid, called synovial fluid acts as a nutrient and a lubricant to the cartilage. In a joint, like the knee joint, the top of the bones that make it up are covered by a cap of off-white elastic matter, the cartilage (meniscus), which allows the smooth movement of bones and acts like a cushion that absorbs the impact of bone movement and, particularly, weight. Arthrosis results from the progressive wear and tear of the joint tissue, particularly of the cartilage, that leads to increasing pain, deformity, and difficulty of movements. The onset of arthrosis starts with the deterioration of the cartilage, which loses its elasticity and becomes less effective. In the absence of part or all of this cushioning effect of the cartilage, the bones rub one another and cause friction, inflammation, pain, and difficulty in moving.

In very advanced stages of this condition, pieces of cartilage and bone may get loose and lodge themselves in the joint, seriously limiting or blocking movement altogether.

The hips, knees, shoulders, feet, and fingers are the body parts most frequently affected by this condition.

As we saw, the joint cartilage is located in the middle of the joints, where the bones come together. In the knee, for instance, it is where the femur and tibia come together and that cartilage is called meniscus.

Problems in the joints expose great undervaluation in movement identity (happens frequently while playing sports – the person did not like the performance of his gesture).

The knees play an essential flexibility role in a person’s life. They denote his internal flexibility. The keywords here, as in all joints, are inflexibility and undervaluation.

Stiffness, inflammations, torsions, distensions, and torn ligaments in joint areas reflect lack of flexibility regarding the person’s mental pattern, inflexibility that ends up clearly abusing the person. This person is inflexible with ideas that do not work for him but which he insists on keeping. By not respecting himself, he is actually undervaluing himself. It is as if he were unhappy with his performance and forced himself to come up with another, totally disrespecting himself, punishing his own body. Of course, joint inflammation blocks movement. It forces him to stop.

Joint lesions may take place in ligaments, tendons, or bones. The knee is a likely area for joint problems.

In soccer and other sports that cause much wear on joints, the knees of players are frequently affected. However, knee problems do not necessarily occur as the result of unusual physical effort. It may happen as you cross a street. In fact, what really matters is the tension in your conscience and any movement may produce the symptom. It may be a conflict with the Father, the Mother, with a teacher, with spirituality, or with authority. It happens frequently to adolescents.

Besides flexibility, the knee shows humility, the acceptance of parental authority. When you bow before someone, you place a knee on the ground as a gesture of humility. When people pray, they place both knees on the ground as a gesture of humility and respect.

Many oriental practices, such as yoga, aikido, judo, and many others begin with the practitioners with their knees on the ground, as a gesture of humility.

The right knee is yang (masculine) and the left knee is yin (feminine). This is the same for left-handed and right-handed people. We should not forget that we are in the realm of the locomotor system and that, in this system, polarity is not always clear. Problems in the yang knee reflect inflexibility and undervaluation, due to the influence of a third party (a man, perhaps) or obsessive beliefs on the part of the patient. It shows a lack of firmness, because the person is too dependent on the Father or a male figure and, at the same time, it shows a lack of humility towards a man. The person does not feel confident, but prefers to ignore that feeling and strains the body. The person may be experiencing a conflict with his Father or with another man.

Problems in the yin knee reflect inflexibility and undervaluation due to the influence of a third party (a woman, perhaps) or obsessive beliefs on the part of the patient. It shows a lack of firmness, because the person is too dependent on the Mother or a female figure and, at the same time, it shows a lack of humility towards a woman. The person violates his sensibility and does not understand that he does not feel confidence in himself regarding a problem with the house, home, or money and the family budget. And he becomes ill!

The mental pattern of the person who becomes inflexible or lacking in humility may be connected with the fact that the person lets himself be influenced by someone who shakes his foundation, making him live a life that is not suitable to him.

We must look for a man or a woman connected with the person’s roots (work, home, family, place where the person lives).

The mountain climber is an idealist who rises from Mother to Father, from Earth to Sky. When he feels undervalued, the symptoms affect his knees.

© Copyright by Luís Martins Simões, developed by RUPEAL