Preventing ACL Tears & Treating Them With Physical Therapy

How To Avoid An ACL Injury & What Are Its Consequences

You may be watching a football game and suddenly see a player crumple to the ground, clutching one of their knees. The announcer may say in a somber voice, “It looks like they may have torn their ACL.” That means that they are likely looking at a year of rehabilitation to get back on the field.

It’s not just pro athletes of either gender who are at risk. Everyday people are in danger of tearing their anterior cruciate ligament. You will likely have to see your physical therapist in Brooklyn or Rosedale to recover. Are you wondering how to avoid an ACL injury and what are its consequences?

Defining An Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

This is what happens when you sprain or tear your anterior cruciate ligament. This ligament connects your thigh bone to your shinbone. You might have it happen when you make a sudden stop or start and there might be a popping sound. At first, you might be unable to put any weight on it at all due to pain and swelling, but that might subside after a bit. That is why you see some athletes with this walk off the field under their own power. That does not mean that they are OK though.

There are degrees of severity when it comes to this. A sprain is mild- the ligament does not tear. But if it tears, you definitely need to seek medical attention. Other things to look out for are a swollen knee and a feeling that you are off balance. See a doctor if anything happens to your knee area. It’s better to be safe than sorry in this instance. Otherwise, you run the risk of more damage.

What Sort Of Physical Activity Puts Your ACL At Risk?

Sports that involve a lot of sudden stops, like football. downhill skiing, basketball or soccer can put you at risk. Female athletes tend to get it more often than men, but it can happen to either gender. Women have some differences in anatomy as opposed to men and hormones can also make a difference. Your level of conditioning or lack thereof can also increase your chances of getting an ACL injury.

The ACL Is a Ligament That Tears Easily

When it comes to this injury, it’s all in the hips … almost. People can rotate their hips too quickly or soon when performing a motion and that causes strain on the ACL which then makes it tear. Also, when it happens to young teens, it means that their skeletal system is still immature along with their knees are weak which can cause problems.

It is important to stretch properly and people are not learning the proper stretches and exercises to help prevent this. They may have had a prior ACL injury and not recuperated properly. They also don’t take preventative measures to try to keep this injury at bay. While there can be an element of bad luck when it comes to this, doing all of the above can improve your chances of staying healthy.

In Which Cases Should You Get ACL Reconstruction Surgery?

Your age can be a big factor. If you’re young, then that increases your need for surgery. Also, it depends on the severity of the injury, how unstable your knee is and what activities you are currently doing. Don’t expect to be wheeled into the operating room right after the injury either. Doctors need to wait to see what is going on with your leg. Expect to wait about two weeks to possibly a month.

If it is a small tear, you might want to rehab and strengthen the area around the ACL. That can help protect the ligament. If you don’t play sports or over the age of 55, then you might want to eschew the surgery. You can even look into rehabilitation programs that can help you skip the surgery.

The Benefits Of Physical Therapy On An ACL Injury

Your Rosedale physical therapist will be able to see what happened, what kind of surgery you had, and then they can come up with a plan to help you get back to where you need to be. They have thorough knowledge of the human body and can customize a routine for you. If something isn’t working then they can adjust on the fly. It’s definitely better than trying to do this on your own.

An ACL injury can be scary, but medicine has vastly improved over the decades. You will have a faster recovery and if you can follow what your physical therapist tells you to do, then you should be well on your way to getting back to normalcy.

New York’s Most Trusted Physical Therapists Will Help You Recover From a Torn ACL

Rosedale and Brooklyn’s most trusted physical therapists will help you recover from a torn ACL. The staff at Phoenix Physical Therapy Rehabilitation PLLC will work with you closely so that you can regain your former form. They have extended hours for any person’s schedule. Give them a call to make an appointment today – 347-733-1916.

 

Phoenix Physical Therapy

Rosedale Location
23520 147th Avenue, Suite 1,
Rosedale, NY, 11422

Brooklyn Location
7510 4th Ave., Suite 3,
Brooklyn, NY, 11209
Phone: (347) 733-1916