ACL Physical Therapy and Prevention

There are 100,000 and 200,000 ACL ruptures per year in the United States alone. Current research states females have a 2-10x higher risk of tearing the ACL.

ACL Physical Therapy and Prevention: 

If you tear your ACL you will likely need ACL physical therapy to return to full function. Furthermore, if you're weighing surgical options, talk to one of our highly trained physical therapists to help you navigate this decision. 

There is a lot of research showing exercises that enhance the brain-body connection are highly effective in preventing ACL tears and reducing injury severity. These studies support that by using performance tests, we can accurately assess injury risk. To support youth athletes, Agile Physical Therapy will design individualized training programs and administer research-based performance tests. These tests detect imbalances in strength, power, and control to prevent/reduce injury. 

ACL Surgery: 

After a knee injury, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) can be torn and needs to be surgically repaired. Your doctor may send you for pre-surgical physical therapy. You and your physical therapist will address your strength and range of motion deficits before surgery. Evidence shows that the stronger your muscles and the better the knee range of motion, the better your outcomes. You and your surgeon will discuss which graft will be best for your recovery and lifestyle. The most frequent grafts used are allograft (from cadaver) or autograft (from yourself). Your surgeon harvests them from your patellar tendon or hamstring tendon.

ACL Physical Therapy: 

The success of an ACL surgery comes from your post-surgical physical therapy.  It is important to anticipate that ACL reconstruction physical therapy will require a good amount of time and effort for optimal results. Agile’s physical therapists are well educated in the rehabilitation process, regardless of which graft your surgeon used. Firstly, you should start physical therapy 1-3 days post-surgery to ensure you regain your range of motion. Secondly, quadriceps activation is crucial to start regaining function. As you get stronger and start to return to weight bearing activities, your physical therapist will coach you in how hard to push by prescribing an individualized exercise program. Using graded functional measures, your physical therapist and surgeon will guide you to return to your sport. Additionally, physical therapists will use injury prevention screens to help clear athletes for returning to practice and games. 

ACL surgery and physical therapy can be physically and emotionally demanding. Work with physical therapists who care about you and your goals.  Learn why Agile is the best in the business.