There's good news on the horizon for anyone with knee pain due to a torn or damaged ACL: surgery isn't the only option. There's nothing worse than hearing that sound: once you realize it's your knee, you're already on the ground. A simple false start, a twist, or an abrupt stop, and you've gotten a life-changing injury. You've done ice, rest, elevation, and the whole nine yards, but you're starting to get used to the idea that you're going to need intensive knee surgery. If you do only light to moderate amounts of physical activity, this may not be true; however, if you are a serious athlete, the following program may not be the best option.
For those in the former category, physical rehabilitation could allow you to recover your mobility and flexibility, through the strengthening and rebuilding of damaged tissues. While you may not want to completely rule out surgery, a year or two of dedicated physical therapy may find you feeling strong enough to deem it unnecessary.
The ACL, known formally as the anterior cruciate ligament, is a major ligament in the knee, is the site of the greatest number of knee injury. It holds the knee joints in place between the shinbone and the thighbone. While a torn ACL is generally accepted as a sports injury, it can happen as the result of a fall, an awkward twist, or a car crash. There seems to be a higher concentration of ACL injuries among women, particularly female athletes.
This could be due to a number of factors, including differing body posture, the effect of estrogen on the positioning of the ligaments, and a different concentration of body strength than men. Individuals who engage in rigorous physical activity should follow a strictly regimented program to avoid worsening the injury. However, those who only engage in light to moderate physical activity can prevent further injury by being more mindful of their motions during sports or exercise.
You may want to film yourself so you can see what you need to amend. When jumping, execute a solid landing: avoid undue stress on the knees by landing, knees bent, facing forward. Work the muscles throughout the leg to stabilize the knee. Squats and lunges are great for the thighs. One-legged squats target the hips as well as the thighs. Make sure you're doing these exercises correctly, though, as incorrect execution can put more stress on the knee which won't help you at all. Physical rehabilitation alone will generally take a couple of months before you see an improvement; but compared to the six-month recovery time for knee surgery this is really not long. Younger individuals will see the greatest benefit from this treatment, not only because their tissues are more elastic, but because their skeletons are still growing, and knee surgery could inhibit normal growth. If you don't start to see and feel improvement after six months of physical therapy, you might want to ask your doctor about surgery.
Author Resource:-
OSC treats orthopedic and spinal issues. For patients suffering from sports injuries, be sure to check out this section of our website.
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