Recovering from an ACL Injury

Cause

ACL injuries can be caused by a sudden twisting motion commonly during sports but can happen by even pivoting around to look behind you, stepping off a curb, or slipping on ice. The ligament that connects your femur to your tibia (thigh bone to shin bone) either separates or is severely stretched (that’s called a sprain). You’ll most likely experience instability in your knee, redness, pain, and swelling.

Effects

Pain in the knee from a fast twisting motion that can lead your knee to pain, swelling, and redness. Other effects of ACL is feeling like your knee is popping, no range of motion, your knee “giving out.” And overall unable to do what you love without feeling pain and restricted movement.

Treatment

Surgery and physical therapy are the two most common routes to recovery, depending on severity, but what happens if you strengthen the imbalances that caused the injury in the first place? Physical therapy, while extremely helpful in most cases, can often exacerbate a problem that was quite likely the original cause of the injury — fascial restriction. Surgery typically involved borrowing some of the fibers from your hamstring (back of the thigh) to recreate the anterior cruciate ligament. We encourage people who have damaged their ACL to see their doctor to determine whether or not they should have surgery. At your doctor’s visit, you can ask for a referral for Structura where we accept a few major insurances and can help you along your road to recovery.

You can generally expect a 90-minute visit for your first appointment where your posture and movement will be assessed and your therapist will determine a treatment plan specifically tailored to your needs. Your therapist will look for limitations in range of motion, which movements cause you pain, and which movements do not. After the assessment phase, you’ll be asked to lie on the table where your therapist will work with the fascia surrounding the muscle groups in your leg to increase range of motion, decrease pain, and improve dysfunction. It’s important to work all compartments of the thigh, lower leg, hip, and low back as well as the opposite leg to reduce further injury and keep the problem from returning again in the future. 

Following your initial treatment, you will be given a set of repatterning exercises from the Pete Egoscue Method. Our therapists are trained to recognize the movements that your body would benefit from to reduce imbalances and aid in recovery during your treatment at Structura. After we have moved your soft tissue in the direction that the fibers should be going and realigned the body to create optimal performance and reduce pain, we want it to stay there long-term. The most successful recoveries come from utilizing all of aspects of what Structura has to offer. 

As with any other appointment at Structura, you’re always encouraged to ask questions and be involved in your health care. If you have concerns about treatment or are unsure of what to expect, feel free to ask! We’re eager to educate and help all of our clients learn how to be empowered when it comes to their healthcare and recovery.