ACL Physical Therapy in Ammon

Have you ever experienced an injury that made a complete 180 of your life? A lot of people, especially athletes, will experience an ACL injury sometime in their life or career. The healing, the patience, the pain, and the life adjustments, all become an obstacle to overcome. Lucky for you, here at Pick PT in Ammon, we can help you in all these aspects and get you back to the life you love. No one enjoys dealing with a serious injury like this, but with our help, you can show that you’ll only come out stronger, healthier, and more determined on the other side.

ACL Background

Before diving into the physical therapy aspect of healing an ACL injury, let’s look at the anatomy behind it to further understand how it could happen and how to treat it. The leg is made up of three major bones:

• Thighbone (femur)
• Shinbone (tibia)
• Kneecap (patella)

These three bones are hooked together by major ligaments and cartilage that cushions them.

The four ligaments are:

• ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament): this is the ligament that runs diagonally across the knee and is responsible for a lot of rotation and the forward movement of the tibia. 
• PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament): this ligament is located right behind the ACL and controls backward movement of the tibia. This ligament is harder to injure than others because of its strength and it isn’t as responsible for movement as the ACL. 
• MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament): this ligament stretches from the inside of the femur to the inside of the tibia and braces it against horizontal movements of the knee.
• LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament): this ligament is the same as the MCL but located on the outside of the leg. 

The ACL is among one of the most common knee injuries and the most injured knee ligament. This is because a lot of sports/activities involve twisting and rotating the leg, which causes a tear in the soft tissue. 

Causes and Risks

Those who play high-intensity or high-impact sports are always at a higher risk of having an ACL injury. The most common occurrences happen when:

• Landing awkwardly from a jump
• Twisting your leg while your foot is planted
• Getting a direct hit to the knee 

The most common sports that this occurs in are basketball, football, and soccer where these motions are a part of the training. 

Certain things you can do to minimize the risk are:

• Warm up properly: make sure your muscles are warm so there is less risk of tearing any muscle.
• Train and condition regularly: make sure your body is strong and mobile enough to be prepared for something like this.
• Wear the right footwear: the right support starts from your feet up.

Symptoms 

Most of the symptoms are very recognizable but you will need to see a doctor and get a physical exam to figure out all the details and components of the injury. Some symptoms may include:

• Difficulty walking or continuing an activity
• Intense pain in the knee
• Swelling
• A popping noise when it happens – usually indicates a tear
• Lack of range of motion

Since the ACL is responsible for a lot of the movement in the knee and leg, whether or not you can move it is a big determinant if it’s the ACL that was torn. 

What to Expect When Seeing a Doctor

When you see a healthcare professional about the injury, they will be able to tell you what exactly was damaged in the process. They will first talk with you about your medical history and what was going on when it happened. They will get an idea of your pain level and where the pain is coming from. They will then conduct a physical exam and image testing to make sure they get a clear and accurate picture of the extent of the injury. From there, they will decide on the best treatment option for you. 

Treating with Physical Therapy

This is where we come in to help. If you only have minor damage or a partial tear to the ACL, it will most likely heal on its own without surgery. At Pick PT in Ammon, we can help speed this process up and get you back where you were before, and possibly even stronger. Here are some things we can do to help.

• One-on-one consultation: We will talk with you about your medical history, and lifestyle, evaluate your X-rays, and listen to the goals you have moving forward. We want to curate the best program for you that will give you the results you are looking for. 
• Collaborate with healthcare providers: We will work with your doctor to make sure our practices align with the instructions and advice they give.
• Expert knowledge: We have worked with a plethora of athletes and people who have experienced an ACL injury. We know what exercises work and know the anatomy of the knee if anything starts to go wrong. 

We want what is best for you, whatever that may look like regarding your physical therapy program. 

Physical Therapy After ACL Surgery

In the case that your ACL tears completely in half, surgery will be the only way to heal it back to its full function. Especially if you are young and looking into getting back into the full swing of a sport, your doctor will most likely recommend surgery. This usually consists of a reconstruction using tissue from another part of the body or a donor. 

Post-surgery, you will need to rest and use crutches to move. After about a week, you will start working with a physical therapist to build back that strength, mobility, and endurance. 

At Pick PT in Ammon, we are very mindful of your situation and ability post-surgery. We won’t tell you to do anything we know you aren’t ready for. We will start slow and simple and see how your milestones progress from there. There are three main exercises we will work with you on that include:

• Balance exercises: We will practice standing on one leg with you to regain the balance back in the knee.
• Strengthening exercises: These can consist of things such as straight leg raises, squats and calf raises to build strength back in the knee. As you progress, we will work on doing more intense exercises.
• Mobility exercises: These include moving your leg in circles, up and down, and side to side. It is important to do these exercises so your leg doesn’t get stiff and cause more issues. 

Even after you are all healed, continuing these exercises will only improve your strength. Incorporate them into your daily regimen to keep yourself strong.

Serving the Ammon Community

We love working with our Ammon patients and hope we can serve more of you! Dealing with an ACL injury is not easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. We are here to give you all the necessary resources to get moving again. Contact us to schedule an appointment so that you can take your power back!