ACL Physical Therapy in Rexburg

Dealing with an ACL injury is not an easy or enjoyable time, especially for someone who is or likes to be active, especially athletes. An ACL injury is very serious and can cause drastic issues if not taken care of. If you have experienced one before, you know how long of a recovery process it is. Fortunately, at Pick PT in Rexburg, we can provide you with the tools you need to speed up the road to recovery and make you even stronger than before.

The Anatomy of the ACL 

The ACL, short for Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is the ligament that connects the thigh bone to the shinbone. There are three major bones in the leg, the thigh bone, the shinbone, and the knee. The ACL runs diagonally behind the kneecap, holding the two large bones together and providing stability for the knee. 

What is an ACL Injury?

An injury in the ACL occurs when there is a partial or complete tear in the ligament. These injuries usually come along with other damage or injuries to surrounding cartilage in the knee. There are different levels of sprains depending on the severity of the ACL damage. Level 1 occurs when there is mild damage to the ACL and it is still able to hold the kneecap in place. Level 2 is considered the partial tear where the ACL gets stretched and becomes loose. Level 3 occurs when the ACL completely tears in half and offers no support to the bones. It is important to know the potential causes and treatments to best prepare if any of these were to happen. 

Risk Factors 

Before looking at the main causes, there are some risk factors that can make you more susceptible to experiencing an ACL injury or tear. Risk is mainly in the individual but there are external risks as well based on the environment. These can include:

• Gender: Females are more at risk of experiencing an ACL injury and it’s more common than in males. This is because the anatomy of the female body puts more strain on the knees, such as wider hips and looser ligaments. 
• Unevenly Distributed Muscle: If you hold more and stronger muscles in your quads, but are weaker in your hamstrings, this lack of proportion can cause the shinbone to be pulled forward, away from where it should naturally be. 
• Faulty Landing: If you land with your knees locked or toward each other, that can cause strain to your ACL. Especially if you have flat feet, that can cause the knees to rotate in, and adding the impact of a jump can cause the tear. If you do not properly train on the right way to land, it poses a bigger risk for you. 
• Dry Weather: This is an external factor that can play a role in an ACL injury. If the climate is dry, it can cause shoes to be more stiff and hold to the ground. This can cause the foot to stay in place while the rest of the leg moves and put strain on the knee. 

Causes 

While the risk factors can play a role in getting an ACL injury, sometimes it simply happens by accident, no matter how trained you are. It usually occurs during a sport or physical activity. It can happen if:

• Your foot is planted and the rest of your leg pivots
• You take a jarring or awkward landing
• You take a direct blow to the knee

Sports that involve a lot of jumping or tackling cause the most ACL injuries. It is important to train in ways to prevent this as much as possible, but there is always a risk of it happening. Implementing physical therapy into your routine can improve strength and help prevent ACL damage. 

Symptoms 

The onset of symptoms is usually immediate after the impact occurs. You can recognize an ACL tear by these symptoms. 

• Intense pain behind the knee
• Range of motion becomes limited 
• A popping sensation
• Loss of stability in the leg 
• Unable to walk
• Immediate swelling

Treatments 

The severity of the tear will determine what type of treatment you need. The two most helpful treatment options are physical therapy or surgery. If you experience only mild damage, you can get it back to where it needs to be through physical therapy. At Pick PT, we offer specialized programs through our experienced physical therapists to get you back on the road to recovery. We can help you by:

• Do an initial consultation to assess your systems and the degree to which you will need to do physical therapy.
• Giving you a personalized program based on what exactly needs to be strengthened. We will give you specific exercises to practice daily and come up with a plan for how long you will need to do it. These will be exercises that will strengthen your knee and get you back to doing your normal daily activities. 
• Speeding up the recovery process.
• Giving you expert knowledge on best practices you should be doing to heal

If you have a full tear in your ACL, you will need surgery to make a full recovery, especially if you want to get back to playing sports. Consult with a healthcare professional to figure out what the best course of action is for you and your quality of life. 

Post-op Physical Therapy

After ACL surgery, you will need to do 6-12 months of physical therapy to slowly ease your way back into daily activities while continuing to strengthen your muscles. Our goal is to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible without compromising your strength and mobility. We want you to feel completely confident when participating in your regular activities again. Post op we will help you:

• Navigate walking with and using crutches.
• Work on a range of motion exercises and get that strength and mobility back.
• Once you have gained quite a bit of strength back, we will start working on more intense exercises that are more related to the sport you are in.
• By make sure all of the exercises are done correctly so we prevent you from getting injured again. 

No matter the level of your ACL injury, physical therapy is beneficial in any part of it. Here at Pick PT, we know how frustrating injuries like these can be and having to wait to do what you love again. We are here to take the best possible care of you and give you all the tools you need to get back to doing what you love. Whether you need a personalized plan to improve the health surrounding your ACL or a post-op plan, we are here for you. Schedule an appointment today at Pick PT in Rexburg so you can get back to the life you love.