ACL REHAB is very important for you to get back to your normal life! Injuries, even minor ones, can lead to pain, inflammation, instability and a risk of further harm.
What is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)?
The ACL is a very important ligament in your knee that prevents your tibia (shin bone) from moving too far away from your femur (thigh bone). This ligament is used extensively in all our daily movements including walking and standing. During sports, it must withstand huge amounts of forces during acceleration, deceleration, cutting, pivoting, jumping, and more! As a result, it is crucial that any ACL injury gets addressed with a comprehensive sports injury rehabilitation plan.
What is the mechanism of injury?
Most ACL injuries happen from non-contact movements such as a sudden rotational force that occurs when the foot is planted on the ground. Other movements can include sudden deceleration or landing awkwardly from a jump. As a result, these injuries are very common in sports like soccer, basketball, and skiing. Secondly, ACL tears can happen from direct contact injuries, usually a blow directly to just below the knee.
What are the symptoms of an ACL tear?
- Instability and pain during movements, especially when walking and coming down stairs
- Decreased balance, strength and control in the muscles
- Decreased ability to put weight on the injured side
- Pain and locking of the knee associated with MCL and meniscus injuries, commonly injured together with the ACL
ACL rehab or surgical repair?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a straight answer to this question. The response after injury will depend on the severity of the tear. Surgical repair may be needed for a fully torn ACL, depending on the level of physical activities you want to return to. With minor injuries, it is possible to avoid surgery if proper ACL rehabilitation is done with a skilled Registered Physiotherapist.
Custom knee braces for ACL rehab
A Custom Knee Brace for ACL tears that can be worn during ACL rehab
In addition, wearing a custom knee brace can allow you to fully support your knee without having to do surgery. Custom knee braces can be very helpful once the initial swelling goes down. They can allow you to return to all or most of your previous activities without surgery. A Custom Knee Brace “replaces” the support and stability lost from the torn ACL ligament. Alternatively, individuals wear these braces while awaiting their ACL surgeries, and post-surgery can wear them as extra support when they start returning to normal activities. There are several types of Custom Knee braces available in the market. The most popular brands are DonJoy, Bledsoe and Ossur. At PhysioNow, we carry off the shelf knee braces and Custom Knee braces from all of the major suppliers.
Check out this link for a few of the braces we currently offer at PhysioNow in Mississauga.
How can physiotherapy help with ACL rehab after a tear?
In the early rehab for a tear, the role of a physiotherapist after an ACL tear is:
- To control pain
- Increase/maintain ROM
- Control swelling
- Early muscle activation and strengthening
- Protect the injury by providing aids like crutches, splints etc
Pain is controlled by using different modalities such as ultrasound, and interferential therapy. A graduated exercise program will help you to improve your movement. Here is another interesting article about ACL REHAB.
Exercises will focus mainly on:
- Strengthening quadriceps and gluteal muscles
- Restoring normal range of motion in the knee
- Proprioception techniques (you will likely lose some of your natural ability to balance after an ACL tear),
- Stretching of the hamstring muscles.
Possible ACL REHAB Exercises
Please do not attempt these exercises at home without the advice of your doctor or a skilled Registered Physiotherapist!
Eventually, you will progress past these exercises but since rehab is on such an individual basis and dependent on your goals, the following exercises might look very different! This is where the Physiotherapist comes in as they can create a personalized plan for you specific to your interests and current abilities. Then, they can supervise you and ensure you are safe and controlled at all times in your rehab.
Looking for some help>
If you or someone you know has had an ACL tear, we at PhysioNow would be happy to help! If you want to discuss Physiotherapy Treatment or to see if a Custom Knee brace might be helpful for you, book with PhysioNow today!
