Exercises For Damage To The Cruciate Ligament In The Knee

An injury to your anterior cruciate ligament, also known as your ACL, is an extremely dangerous injury. It is one that can take months, even years to fully recover from. A serious ACL injury often requires surgery and the surgery requires intense rehabilitation in order to get your knee back in full working order. Knowing what exercises to do in order to rehab your knee more efficiently can improve your health and help get you back on your feet in no time

Heel Slides

Lie on your back, on your bed. Keep your legs straight together and put your arms on your side. Pull your heel up toward your rear end. Continue bringing it up until you feel a stretch in your knee. Hold the position for 10 seconds, then slowly move your leg back to its original position. Do two or three sets of five to 10 repetitions each. The heel slides will help increase the amount of flexibility in your knee, in addition to increasing the muscle activity in your hamstrings.

Straight Leg Raising

Standing up raise the leg that was operated on straight in front of you about 6 to 10 inches. Hold the position for five to 10 seconds, then slowly lower your leg back to its original position. Do two to three sets of five to 10 repetitions each. Perform this exercise twice daily. This will help improve your quadriceps and flexors, which will aid your walking ability with the hurt knee.

Quadriceps Setting

Lie on your back while on your bed. Put your legs straight and keep your arms at your side. Gently push your knee down on the bed, until your feel a stretch in your knee. Hold the position for between five and 10 seconds, then relax your knee. Do two or three sets of five to 10 repetitions each. Performing this exercise twice daily will help increase the extension in your knee, in addition to initiating the contraction of your muscles.

Ankle Pumps

Every five to 10 minutes, flex and point your toes repeatedly. The motion should be as if you are continuously pumping the gas pedal in a car. You can do this exercise with both feet simultaneously or with each foot separately.

Ankle Circles

Rotate your ankles in a large circle in each direction 10 times. Do this 25 to 50 times every five to 10 minutes. You can do both ankles simultaneously or each ankle separately.