High-demand sports are those that involve repeated cutting motions, rapid changes in direction, and include popular fall sports like football and soccer. These aggressive movements put the knee at an increased risk for injury, and among the most common of these are sprains and tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The ACL, one of the four primary knee ligaments, is located inside the knee joint and crosses with the posterior cruciate ligament to form an “X.” Running diagonally in the knee, the ACL provides stability for the knee and prevents the tibia (shinbone) from sliding out in front of the femur (thigh bone) under normal circumstances.

However, when something goes wrong—such as changing directions too rapidly, stopping or slowing down suddenly, landing the wrong way or having a direct collision—the ACL becomes unable to handle the extreme force and results in an injury. After sustaining an ACL injury, individuals may hear a popping noise and will usually experience pain, swelling, tenderness, and a feeling of the knee “giving way.”

ACL injuries can vary and are graded like any other ligament injury: grade 1 when the ligament is slightly stretched but still keeps the knee stable; grade 2 for a more severe, partial tear, and grade 3 for a complete tear, which results in significant instability in the knee. On the whole, most ACL injuries are complete or near-complete tears.

Following a suspected ACL injury, athletes should be examined as soon as possible. Orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists usually work together to determine the severity of the injury and what treatment is needed. The majority of ACL injuries require surgery, though some can be treated non-surgically, and whatever treatment course is prescribed, physical therapy plays an important part:

• No surgery: in rare cases that don’t require surgery, physical therapy will help restore strength, endurance and coordination; there will also be modifications of regular activities to avoid pain and assist return to sports
• Before surgery: when surgery is ordered, a physical therapist will prescribe exercises to decrease swelling, increase range of motion and strengthen the thigh muscles to increase recovery time afterwards
• After surgery: physical therapy will begin almost immediately after surgery and will consist of the following components: ice and compression to reduce swelling; guidelines on how to use crutches and the fitted brace properly; flexibility exercises to increase the movement of the knee; strengthening exercises that focus on the thigh muscles (hamstrings and quadriceps) and sport-specific exercises that will be exclusive to the sport the athlete is trying to return to
• A physical therapist will continue to monitor patients throughout this process to determine when they are ready to return to sports

Clearly, physical therapy is an integral part of the recovery process from ACL injuries and can have a serious impact in getting patients back to their previous levels of competition as quickly and pain-free as possible. To learn more about ACL recovery and how CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services LLC can help—with three locations in Laurel, Hyattsville and Glenn Dale/Bowie, MD—contact us today. Call 301-853-0093 to schedule an appointment or click here for more information.