Your medial collateral ligament, or MCL, is located on the inside of your knee and is responsible for connecting your femur, or thigh bone, to your tibia, or shin bone. PhysioAdvisor.com says that the MCL is "one of the most important ligaments of the knee" because of the stability it provides to your joint. A tear to this ligament is a common sports injury, often resulting from a blow to the outside of the knee while your knee is bent slightly, or a twisting motion while supporting your body weight.
Severity of Injury
Doctors treating an MCL tear often grade the injury based on the amount of damage done to your ligament. A Grade 1 tear is characterized by damage to only a few fibers of your ligament, which results in knee pain but also allows you to continue using your knee. A Grade 2 tear occurs when a "significant number of fibers are torn," resulting in some loss of function to your knee, PhysioAdvisor.com says. A Grade 3 tear is a rupture of all of the fibers of your MCL ligament, resulting in a severe loss of function in your knee and often occurring simultaneously with damage to other parts of your knee joint.
The First Couple of Weeks
Depending on your specific injury, your doctor could suggest that you rest your knee for a few days or a couple of weeks and follow the RICE protocol -- rest, ice, compression and elevation -- to allow the swelling after your initial trauma to subside. You will probably be instructed to begin light exercises, including range of motion and light weight-bearing exercises. During this period, you should not place undue stress on your MCL and should stay away from exercising the inside muscles of your leg.
Three Weeks
During this period, your doctor is likely to have you begin strength-training exercises like the leg press, stair climbing with assistance and the leg curl. The strength-training exercises are often accompanied by light stretching exercises to help restore motion to your injured knee. The exercises are often tailored to your specific condition and athletic level and can also include exercises to help restore mobility, strength and balance.
Four Weeks and Beyond
As your condition improves, your therapist will probably begin sport-specific exercises to help you return to your previous activities. This period of therapy often focuses on functional exercises as well as agility training. Patients who have suffered an MCL tear often report that they lack confidence in the strength of their knee after the injury, so this therapy is designed to help strengthen your joint to help you return to sport. Perform exercises only as directed by your doctor or therapist, and let them know if you're experiencing serious pain.
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