Knee Exercises And Acl Injury Rehabilitation

Your anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, helps keep your shin bone in place and is important for knee stability, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. ACL rehabilitation can take between four and six months or longer, and the success of the surgery depends on your ability to stick with your rehabilitation program.

Range of Motion

One of the primary goals after ACL is repair is to restore full range of motion. To accomplish this, your orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist might suggest heel slides or prone hangs. To do heel slides, sit on the floor with your leg extended. Place a towel underneath your heel, and hold each end with your hands. Pull your heel toward you, and let your knee flex. Do prone hangs by lying on your stomach on a table and letting your legs hang off the edge. Let your knee straighten out to work on knee extension.

Strengthening

Once your doctor or physical therapist gives the OK, you can begin to strengthen the muscles around your knee and ACL. Common exercises to strengthen these muscles include hamstring curls, quadriceps extension and hip flexion, extension and abduction. Start these types of exercises with a higher number of repetitions and lower resistance. Follow your doctor's instructions to avoid injury.

Aerobic Exercise

According to the University of Connecticut Health Center, there are some aerobic activities you can do relatively quickly after your ACL surgery. You can swim as little as three weeks following your surgery, as long as you only do light flutter kicks. Other types of aerobic activities that you can do under the direction of your doctor or physical therapist include riding a stationary bike and using an elliptical machine.

Warnings

Always follow your surgeon's instructions to fully rehabilitate your repaired ACL. Pain and swelling are common as part of ACL rehabilitation, but they usually subside after range of motion and strength begin to return. According to the University of Connecticut, the greatest risks in ACL rehabilitation include you or your physical therapist being too aggressive. Unsuccessful ACL rehabilitation can lead to knee stiffness, pain and other injuries to your knee.

Considerations

According to the University of Michigan Health System, ACL rehabilitation is extensive and time-consuming. It requires not only visiting regularly with your physical therapist but also regularly doing exercises on your own. Following your care provider's exact instructions for rehabilitating your ACL will increase your chances of making a full recovery and participating in all the types of physical activities that you enjoy.