Too often, improper rehabilitation after an injury to the ACL leads to decreased activity due to discomfort and fear, osteoarthritis from dysfunctional knee joint motion, and additional injuries as a result of inappropriate muscular control. Profound Strength (www.profoundstrength.com) in Eugene, OR tends to the following elements throughout the rehabilitation process to ensure proper recovery from an ACL injury.
Swelling: Swelling is an essential part of healing, but too much swelling can lead to complications. So follow the advice of your doctor, therapist or athletic trainer about rest, ice, compression, elevation and the use of NSAID’s to help control the swelling.
Range of motion: Full range of motion is the first step in getting back to normal activity. Without proper range of motion you will always struggle with regaining strength, balance, and coordination. Work your therapist or athletic trainer to attain normal range of motion at the knee, hip, and ankle. Attaining normal range of motion too quickly may be a bad thing, but gradual progress should be seen with full range of motion being attained at the end of 6-8 weeks.
Neuromuscular control: Balance, coordination, proper positioning, proper timing and control of motion are all a part of good neuromuscular control. It is critical that you work with your physical therapist or athletic trainer to perfect these elements. Are your glutes firing appropriately? Are your knees in the correct position while performing a squatting motion? Improvement should be seen as your program progresses
Strength: When emphasized alongside proper neuromuscular control, gaining muscular balance is important. Gaining strength in weak muscles should be accomplished in a gradual and appropriate way. Gaining too much strength too fast can give a false sense of security in the knee and can be disasterous. Therefore slow gradual progressions should be made until full strength is attained. It is also important to consider keeping proper muscular balance. Depending on severity, surgery, and age full strength can take as long as a year to regain.
Sport & activity related motions: Incorporating motions that are specific to daily life, sport, and exercise is an important element to consider while still rehabilitating. Incorporating these motions into a rehab program will allow for specific strength and confidence with the specific motion.
Cardiovascular conditioning: Because of the reduced level of lower extremity activity during the rehabilitation process it is important to incorporate cardiovascular conditioning into ACL rehabilitation. Utilizing equipment such as a upper body exerciser (UBE) or limited pool work (that is appropriate for your phase of rehab) you can maintain your cardiovascular fitness so it will be easier when getting back to normal activity. Talk to your therapist or athletic trainer regarding what cardio is appropriate for you.
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