One of the most common knee injuries is a sprain or tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. Athletes who play soccer, football, basketball and hockey are more likely to injure their ACL due to the demands of their sport. The ACL's function is to provide stability within the knee joint; tears or severe injury to the ligament often require surgery to repair it. Physical therapists benefit you by providing exercises so you can keep your knee mobile and gently rehabilitate your joint.
Patient Education
One of the primary jobs of the physical therapist is to educate you on how to properly care for your injured ACL and what you can and cannot do throughout the rehabilitation process. For example, the physical therapist may instruct you on how to position or limit the range of motion of your leg when resting or sleeping to avoid further damage. He should also explain the timeline you can expect for your recovery and tell you when you can do certain activities including range of motion exercises and strengthening exercises. He will also tell you when you may start bearing weight on the injured knee and when you can expect to return to full activity.
Range of Motion
The physical therapist provides assisted motion to your leg to regain and maintain mobility and range of motion in your knee. Directly after your injury or after surgery, your knee will be tender and more than likely swollen. The physical therapist's main job is to maintain motion through the joint and the surrounding muscles. He may do this by positioning you in a way to eliminate gravity on the joint so it is easier for you to move the knee through a greater range of motion while reducing the pain. As your ACL heals and you become stronger, he will show you how to perform range of motion exercises you can perform on your own, then work up to exercises that require you to put weight on your leg as you go through the range of motion.
Adaptations
Physical therapists can be beneficial by helping you find ways to adapt to your living environment or work space so you can function normally and accommodate your injured ACL. He can show you how to effectively climb up and down stairs, get in and out of bed, and maneuver yourself into the bathroom and shower. He will also teach you precautions you should take to avoid further injury. For example, you should avoid sitting in low chairs as it puts additional strain on your knee when you stand up. Your physical therapist will tell you whether or not you will need any additional modalities such as crutches, a cane, or a walker in order to get around easily.
Rehabilitation
Most physical therapy clinics have a wide variety of weights and resistance devices to provide you with many options for rehabilitation exercises. Your physical therapist will be able to teach you new exercises throughout your rehabilitation process to continue to increase the strength of your ACL and your knee's stability until it returns to its previous strength. In addition to the exercises you perform in the clinic, your physical therapist will provide you with a continuing home treatment plan to continue your rehabilitation on your own once you regain full range of motion, strength and stability.
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; Mar 2009
- Fitness; When Physical Therapy Can Help; Maura Kelly; Jan 2010
- "Srpski Arhiv Za Celokupno Lekarstvo"; Basic Principles of Aggressive Rehabilitation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction; E. Dubljanin-Raspopovic, et al.; Nov-Dec 2005
- TeensHealth; Physical Therapy; Julie Shulman; Oct 2008
- "Therapeutic Exercises: Foundations and Techniques" 5th Edition; Lynn Allen Colby and Carolyn Kisner; 2002
