James
Anterior cruciate knee injuries are fairly typical in sports such as football where there is a lot of speed, power as well of a lot of twisting and turning of the knee that can cause the knee to be twisted into a position that can cause damage to the anterior cruciate ligament.
The main job of the anterior cruciate ligament is to stabilise the knee as it bends and to prevent too much forward movement and rotation of the knee to protect the other ligaments inside the knee. However, there is only so much the anterior cruciate ligament can cope with. Sudden violent twisting to the knee whilst the knee is in a compromised position or jumping and landing on an over extended knee can cause the anterior cruciate ligament to become damaged. Due to the fact that the Anterior cruciate ligament can take a lot of force and twisting to become damaged, it means that an ACL injury is usually considered a serious.
Acl injuries aren’t always painful straight away, however many who suffer from an ACL injury report a snapping sensation when bending the knee after sustaining the injury. Usually, pain comes later as the swelling of the knee develops into what is known as a haemarthrosis, how painful the injury will be is determined by how damaged the Anterior cruciate ligament and the knee is. Ice packs are usually applied to the affected knee this is to both reduce swelling and to help to soothe pain too.
If you suffer from an ACL knee injury you may find that your knee will not be able to properly support itself and will become unstable especially under pressure. This is because the ACL will no longer help to restrict excessive rotation of the shin and thigh and results in a lack of control and stability of the knee.
It is often hard to diagnose an ACL injury straight away because of initial swelling that can mask the signs of an ACL injury. Once the swelling has gone down usually after 48 hours physiotherapists can usually make an accurate diagnosis by the use of stress tests.
One of the main reasons as to why some people may have a prolonged recovery is because they may choose to start using their knee too soon and end up causing more damage to the knee and ligaments when it simply cannot take the strain. That is why it is important to provide your knee with extra support during rehabilitation.
Knee supports are usually provided to those who suffer from an ACL knee injury. Knee supports help to realign the knee and correct biomechanical imbalances that may have resulted in the injury. A good support can also help to give extra support and stability to the weakened knee whilst it recovers. Supports also help do the job of the “acl” by resisting rotation and forward movement you are putting pressure of a damaged ACL and reducing the risk of twisting and re-damaging the acl.
Improving the flexibility of your knee and gradually building up the strength in your knees can be done by using resistances bands that through a small bit of resistance can help target weakened parts of the supporting muscles of your knee and help to restrengthen the knee.
Surgery could be recommended to those who suffer from a serious ACL knee injury.
