ACL Injury Prevention and Rehab

Yonemoto Physical Therapy offers ACL injury prevention information sessions to local high school and sports/ athletic teams.  In the sessions, we cover what every coach, athlete, and parent should know about ACL Injuries and how to prevent them.

Topics covered include:

• ACL Function and injuries
• Risk Factors
• Modified training programs

What is the ACL?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament that connects the bones between the knee joint.  It provides stability for the knee and minimizes stress across the knee joint by restricting excess forward movement of the lower leg bone and rotational movement of the knee.

The ACL ligament can be easily injured or “torn” if the muscles are overstretched or strained.

What Causes ACL Injuries?

Most ACL injuries are caused by knee movements that create great amounts of strain on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). When this happens, individuals experience a force or “blow” to the front part of the knee.  About 40% of individuals also experience a “popping” sensation, which is the tearing of the ligament.

The ACL can be partially torn or completely torn. There may be pain and swelling, and the person may lack stability. The knee may feel like it will “give out” at any moment, and the person will have difficulty standing, walking, and moving.

ACL tears are caused by both athletic and nonathletic activities where the knee is hyperextended (knee is over-straightened) and/or there is a internal rotation (overturning the lower leg inward).

Most ACL tears happen during athletic ability that usually involve:

1. Planting and cutting – This happens when the foot is positioned firmly on the floor with the leg turning one direction or the other. (Ex: football player during a fast cut suddenly changes the direction.)
2. Straight knee landing – This results when the foot strikes the ground with the knee straight.(Ex: basketball player coming down after a jump shot or a gymnast landing on a dismount.)
3. Knee hyperextended with one-step-stop landing – This results when the leg suddenly stops while being the in an over-straightened position. (Ex: baseball player slides with the knee hyperextended to land on a base.) The additional force causing hyperextension and can tear the ACL.
4. Pivoting and suddenly stopping – This results from a combination of rapidly slowing down while a plant and twist of the leg and placing extreme rotation at the knee. (ex: soccer player quickly slows down and turns in the direction.)

Preventing ACL Injuries

Learning the appropriate skills and training can help prevent ACL injuries and tears. Adding training drills that require balance, power and agility as part of an ACL prevention program is a good start.  The program should include:

• Warming up
• Stretching
• Strengthening
• Plyometrics
• Agility Drills
• Cooling down

Why Try Physical Therapy?

Our physical therapists can design an ACL conditioning program for you to prevent ACL injuries.  We also provide help if you have an ACL injury or offer you post-op ACL surgery rehab to help you feel and function better.

A physical therapist can help restore normal motion, flexibility and strength in your muscles so you can have reduced pain. They can also help increase your range of motion and educate you to prevent further wear and tear.  They will use a combination of modalities, hands-on manual therapy, exercises, and education.

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Find out how physical therapy can help with ACL injuries and rehab!
Call our office at (626) 576-0591 for a free consultation.
We can also provide free insurance verification before your first visit.

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