Coping with Knee Pain

About a month ago, my right kneecap began to hurt when running. I iced it as much as I could (every time I have the television on!), increased my stretching routine somewhat, and just ran through it. On a run about two weeks ago, I felt a slight tear as I rounded a corner, but finished the eight-mile run, and ran the rest of the week without any more unusual pain. Finally, after a seven-mile tempo run on the treamill at seven-minute pace on a rainy Saturday, my right knee swelled up considerably. I spent the next few days eliminating risk factors. I bought new running and cross-training shoes (I tend to keep mine at least twice as long as shoe experts recommend). I also bought some "joint protectant" products, and took two Aleve daily. Exercise-wise, I did the rower one day (with mixed results), elliptical the next (no pain, but very little perceived "gain"), and swam a mile the third (which felt good, all the way around!). I had an appointment with my Chiropractor/Sports Therapist last Friday, and he found I have a torn lateral meniscus, as well as the beginnings of osteoarthristis in my knee. He performed non-invasive cold laser surgery, which took minutes, and applied spider-web like "kinesio tape" around my knee. One week in, the swelling has gone down considerably, and I'm able to walk around without pain. I'm still swimming a mile a day, and hope to get back to running shortly. In fact, I ran through a parking lot the other day, forgetting completely about my injury, and felt okay. I love running in the summer, and do most of my racing this time of year. I do miss it, but have been able to keep sane, and stay in pretty comparable shape, with my swimming. I see my doctor again later today, and hope to get some rehabilitative stretching ideas from him that I can do. Hope to be back on the roads soon!