A Deep Dive into ACL Injuries
What They Are and How Sports Medicine Can Help
You’re racing across the field and quickly pivot to the left to avoid a collision with a player from an opposing team. But, at that moment, you hear a loud pop. Pain erupts in your knee, and you can no longer put weight on it.
You’ve just suffered an ACL injury, one of the more common sports injuries–particularly for those playing football, basketball, or soccer. These can be major injuries that require immediate medical attention.
Fortunately, Rebound Fitness & Rehabilitation offers same-day urgent care to help assess and diagnose sports injuries. We’ll provide any immediate treatment and let you know what your next steps need to be–in the case of an ACL injury, this is often surgery and then rehabilitation.
Today, we want to do a deep dive into ACL injuries: what they are, why they happen, and how we can set you on the road to recovery. And if you need any in-depth guidance, don’t hesitate to give us a call!
Patient Success Story
“I am a surgeon who had a knee replacement about 4 to 5 weeks ago. I must tell you my experience at Rebound Fitness & Rehabilitation for my knee physical therapy. Greg and Jay have been unbelievable. They are very dedicated and really truly know what they’re doing. I was at another rehabilitation place for my other knee about a year ago and left because they truly didn’t know what they were doing. Now Jay is working all of this out. He is working on my recently operated knee and the other one too. I cannot begin to thank Jay and Greg for all of their professional help. I cannot give them enough stars. As a surgeon, I can tell you these two men and the entire staff are truly extremely competent and professional.” – T.J.
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What Exactly Is an ACL Injury?
The ACL is one of four ligaments that make up your knee joint. It’s located inside the joint and crosses over another ligament, the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament). The ACL stabilizes the knee and prevents you from rotating the joint too far.
Athletes typically injure their ACL during sudden pivot or cutting movements, twisting the knee too far and causing the ACL to tear, either partially or completely. The following are signs that you may have suffered an ACL injury:
- Pain on the outside and back of the knee
- Significant swelling
- Loss of motion
- Inability to put weight on your leg
First Steps: What Do I Do When I Experience an ACL Injury?
If you suspect you’ve torn your ACL, it’s essential to perform first aid immediately after the injury:
- Rest and protect your injured knee. Don’t put weight on it.
- Ice the affected knee to help decrease pain and inflammation.
- Compress the affected knee with a bandage to reduce swelling.
- Keep your knee elevated.
Next, you should visit our same-day urgent care clinic, as we offer a faster and more personalized approach than an emergency room. There, we can confirm the exact nature of your injury. Our in-house X-ray service can rule out certain injuries, such as a bone fracture, and we can order additional testing to confirm a torn ACL.
We can also get you situated with braces or crutches to help protect your knee in the early days of your injury.
Meet Our Team
Rennie Stefani
MS, CSCS
Stephanie Berman
ATC, General Manager
Next Steps: How Do I Treat an ACL Injury?
There are two main ways to treat ACL injuries:
- Conservative treatment involves extensive rehabilitation with a physical therapist, who will guide you through targeted exercises to improve the strength and mobility of your knee joint.
- Surgical treatment involves undergoing an ACL reconstruction, a procedure in which a surgeon removes the damaged ligament and grafts a new one crafted out of ligament tissue from elsewhere in your body.
The right treatment option for you will vary based on your injury’s severity and specific recovery goals. That said, surgery will likely be your best option if you’re an athlete whose sport requires a great deal of pivoting.
In either case, we can refer you to a physical therapist and/or an orthopedic surgeon to ensure you get the best treatment for your needs.
Furthermore, it’s important to understand that ACL injuries take a long time to fully rehabilitate, no matter your choice. While our team won’t guide you through the rehabilitation, we’ll provide additional support throughout the process.
How Can I Prevent an ACL Injury?
Taking the necessary steps to prevent an ACL injury is incredibly important, especially for athletes. Suffering one ACL tear increases the likelihood you’ll suffer another. It’s crucial that you get an annual sports physical to ensure you’re in the right condition to play your sport. Our sports physicals go into far more depth than a typical doctor’s appointment, including evaluating your musculoskeletal system for potential issues. If we notice anything, we can refer you to a sports performance specialist to address it! Whether you’ve just suffered an injury on the playing field or need to come in for your next sports physical, Rebound Fitness & Rehabilitation is here to help. Call us today to get started.
Recipe of the Month: Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
- 4 bell peppers (any color)
- 3/4 lb. lean, ground turkey
- 1/2 medium onion (chopped)
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
- 14.5 oz. canned, no-salt-added, diced tomatoes
- 1 clove fresh, minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic minced from jar)
- 1 tsp. reduced-sodium Italian seasoning (lowest sodium available)
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (for spiciness), (optional)
- 8 oz. canned, no-salt-added tomato sauce
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice to package instructions (omitting salt). While the rice is cooking, in skillet over medium heat, brown the turkey. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes more (until onion becomes translucent).
- Wash the bell peppers and remove the tops, seeds and membranes. Set peppers in a 9×9 baking dish or line them up in a loaf pan, so they stand upright.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix turkey, rice, tomato, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Spoon into each pepper. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over the top of the 4 peppers. Bake 1 hour in the oven, until peppers are tender.
Dive into Spring Gardening Without the Back Pain
As flowers start blooming and gardens come alive, don’t let back pain hinder your green thumb efforts this spring. At Rebound Fitness & Rehabilitation, we’re committed to helping you get back in your garden by addressing your back pain concerns.
Our expert assistance ensures you:
- Find relief from pain, preparing you for those gardening sessions.
- Restore your mobility and strength to plant, prune, and pick with ease.
- Share gardening tips and fresh produce with friends and family without the shadow of back pain.
Our treatments are crafted for your distinct needs. This spring, turn a new leaf without pain—connect with us today and let your wellness blossom alongside your garden!
