ACL Reconstruction Rehabilitation

ACL injuries can be devastating and are becoming all too common in high impact sports or those in which there is a lot of stopping and starting. Those that play stop and go sports or those in which quick cuts are more susceptible to ACL injuries. Although recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery seems like a daunting task, medical advances have made it quicker and easier than ever.

To get back into the normal routine of sports it typically takes around nine months to get back into peak performance. The physiological aspect of believing the knee is able to withstand full speed activities is the final hurdle to clear when resuming the sport. As for non-athletes, the timeline to feel comfortable walking and performing everyday activities with ease, comes at around four to six months. This goal is reached through numerous physical therapy techniques and exercises.

With almost every physical therapy practice, it starts slow. Through ice and elevation, swelling is decreased enough that physical therapy may begin. The first focus of the knee is the range of motion. After the range of motion is increased, focus is shifted to strengthening the knee. Reconstruction surgery requires tissue from another part of the body or from a donor, so it needs to be built up and strengthened; So that it can support all the activities it is put through. Next is to build the patient’s confidence in the knee and progress the strength training. Along with physical therapy exercises, patients may begin jogging and potentially even running depending on the healing process. The last step is to ease back into high intensity activity such as sports. Knowledge of possible limitations is key to avoiding future injury or any complications.

ACL reconstruction surgery can be a burden and the rehabilitation can be a lengthy process. The professionals at Enhanced Physical Therapy take patients step by step in the road to recovery to make it as easy as possible.