Four important facts you should know about ACL injuries

ACL Injuries

At-home recovery. In-clinic treatment. Prevention of future issues. Having as much information about an injury is important for many facets of your recovery process. 

This is especially true when you’re at risk of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. A physical therapist can help you learn more about this structure and how it can be injured. They can also help you understand how physical therapy can benefit you if you’ve already damaged your ACL. 

The four important facts you should know about ACL injuries

ACL problems can be very serious and may cause you to be benched for months. There are four important facts you should know about these injuries; they may help you avoid or better deal with such injuries.

  1. It’s a knee injury — The first fact you should know is that this injury affects your knee. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the structures that helps attach your leg bones together in your knee. 
  1. There are two common causes of ACL problems — The second fact you should know about this type of injury is what can cause it. A hard impact to your knee may cause damage to your ACL. Additionally, this ligament can be injured by sudden changes in direction. 
  1. ACL issues are more common in people who play sports — The third fact that could help you avoid ACL injuries is that such injuries are more common for sports players. Research shows that knee injuries are responsible for 60% of all surgeries on high school sports players, and about half of these injuries are to the ACL. Therefore, you may want to take extra precautions to avoid ACL trauma while playing sports.
  1. Physical therapy can be beneficial —The final fact you should know about ACL problems is they can benefit from physical therapy. Some of the benefits physical therapy can offer include:
  • Reducing pain during recovery
  • Decreasing inflammation from ACL damage
  • Helping injury heal faster
  • Showing you training strategies to prevent future injuries

Need help treating an ACL injury? Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help!

Now that you know all these facts, our Excel Sports & Physical Therapy team hopes you’ll be able to avoid an ACL injury. However, we also want you to know we’re here to help if you do injure your ACL. We offer free screenings that can confirm you’re dealing with an ACL problem and reveal how serious it is. Our physical therapists also excel at creating personalized therapy plans designed to reduce your pain and your risk of reinjury. 

Is your injury keeping you homebound? That’s OK! Our team offers therapy services that you can use without even leaving your home,  like at-home care and virtual therapy sessions. 

Take the next step to start getting ACL treatment from us. Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you or to schedule a free screening.