Pretreatment Exercises For An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury
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Introduction
After an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, you lose leg strength and motion and stability of the knee. It is important that you regain your leg strength and motion as soon as possible, whether you choose to have surgery for your ACL injury or not. Exercises to regain muscle strength and knee motion should begin before you start treatment, whether treatment is a rehabilitation (rehab) program only or surgery plus rehab.
Key points
- After an ACL injury, your knee will not be stable, may be painful, and may have a limited range of motion. You may eventually develop osteoarthritis in the knee.
- If you do exercises to strengthen your thigh muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings) and regain knee motion soon after an ACL injury, you will be better prepared for a rehab program or surgery with a rehab program.
- You should start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of the exercises. Do not push yourself to the point that you feel a lot of pain. Talk to your health professional about how to best progress through the exercises.
The exercises outlined here are common exercises used after an ACL injury. However, your health professional may create a specific set of exercises for you. Check with your health professional before doing any exercises.
What do I need to know about an ACL injury?
Why should I do exercises after my ACL injury?
How do I do ACL exercises?
Where can I learn more about exercises for an ACL injury?
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| Last updated: | May 19, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Ralph Poore |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Patrick J. McMahon, MD - Orthopedics |
| Editors: | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman |
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