ACL Injuries
Canberra
What’s the Deal with the ACL?
The anterior cruciate ligament (more commonly known as the ACL) is a band of fibrous tissue that connects the femur to the tibia. Its primary function is to limit twisting (or rotational) forces through the leg, as well as to prevent forward movement from the tibia onto the femur.
If it feels like your knee is going to give way when you put weight on it, you may have sustained an ACL injury and should seek medical advice quickly to ensure the best possible outcome.
ACL Injury
Causes
This sort of injury generally occurs when the knee is forcefully twisted or hyperextended. While strains can occur, the ACL is most likely to tear; this is usually the result of the knee making an abrupt directional change with the foot fixed on the ground or when the deceleration force crosses the knee. A tear is quite a significant injury, particularly for athletes.
ACL injuries are a frequent occurrence in sports that involve pivoting and sudden deceleration (such as basketball, downhill skiing, football, gymnastics, netball, and soccer). Most tears actually occur in non-contact situations (when a person lands from a jump, pivots, or decelerates suddenly).
ACL Injury Symptoms
Most people can vividly recall the moment they sustained an ACL injury – they often describe it as feeling or even hearing a ‘pop’ in their knee (sort of like an elastic band snapping). Rapid knee swelling typically follows within about two hours.
After these initial symptoms, many people report feeling broad knee tenderness, reduced knee movement, and an overall feeling of knee instability. If damage has been sustained to other structures within the knee, you may also experience medial and lateral pain, as well as a feeling of ‘locking’ when your knee moves.
ACL Injury Treatment
After sustaining an ACL injury, your priorities should be to control knee swelling and to seek advice from a physiotherapist (preferably a sports physio) as soon as possible.
The RICE principle is quite effective at managing knee swelling within the first 72 hours:
- Rest – try to only stand or walk when it’s essential
- Ice – apply to the knee, focusing on the area where you’re experiencing pain
- Compression – an elastic bandage or compression garment will suffice
- Elevation – prop your leg up with a cushion or pillow
Your ACL Injury
Questions Answered
The decision to pursue surgical or non-surgical management for an ACL injury is typically made based on several factors:
- Your age
- The instability of your knee (both at rest and during movement)
- Associated injuries
- Your desire to return to sports
- Your occupation
- Your adherence to a comprehensive rehab program after surgery
How Powerhouse Canberra Can Help
If your physiotherapist is the first person to see you after sustaining an ACL injury, they will take a thorough history of what happened and assess your knee. As swelling makes manual assessment difficult, we prefer to see you either immediately after the injury (before swelling has set in) or after the swelling has subsided.
If your physio suspects an ACL tear has occurred, they may refer you to your GP, a sports doctor, or even an orthopaedic surgeon for further assessment. They may also order an MRI to get a better idea of what’s going on inside the knee and determine the extent of the damage.
Whether it’s determined that surgery is the best course of action or not, evidence suggests that physiotherapist-guided rehabilitation will maximise your recovery.
Why Choose Powerhouse Canberra?
Holistic Approach
We take a holistic approach across a range of physiotherapy services – looking at the bigger picture allows us to treat our patients individually and help them return to doing the things they love as soon as possible.
Athletic Understanding
Our main focus is on integrating sports-related rehab with our world-class gym facilities. Every member of our team has an elite sports based background along with a thorough understanding of athlete requirements.
Tailored Treatment
There’s no one size fits all approach here – our qualified practitioners and talented physiotherapists provide treatment that is specifically tailored to your needs. Plus, we constantly re-evaluate and adjust our plans as needed.
Final Thoughts on Physiotherapy for ACL Injuries
Physiotherapists are movement specialists – we’re focused on improving our patient’s lives by providing hands-on care, education, and prescribed movement that helps them recover from a variety of injuries, including ACL tears. In this case, our focus is on reducing pain and swelling, regaining strength and mobility, and returning to everyday tasks and sports.
If you suspect that you’ve sustained an ACL injury, give the team at Powerhouse Canberra a call and have one of our experienced physiotherapists take a look.