If you’ve ever torn your ACL, you know that it can be extremely painful. You are most likely an athlete or play a sport of some kind, so tearing your ACL definitely jeopardized your ability to play competitively.
The letters “ACL” stand for Anterior Cruciate Ligament. The ACL is one of four ligaments in the knee that provide the knee with support and stability.
Ligaments connect bone to bone in your body. Your ACL is especially crucial because it provides 90% of the support for your knee.
When people injure their ACL, it is usually because they were not careful with their knees when playing a sport. ACL tears usually occur when people stop suddenly, or twist too extremely on their knee.
People often hear a popping noise when they stop too suddenly; this is how they know that they’ve torn their ACL. After a few hours, the knee will become inflamed and swell.
People who have torn their ACL say that it feels like their knee has slipped out of the joint and is very unstable. The swelling and the pain of the knee make it difficult to move, which makes the person feel even more unstable.
If you feel like you’ve torn your ACL, do not panic. Go to your doctor and inform he or she about what has happened.
They will be able to take an X-ray and conduct other tests that will help them identify if you have, in fact, torn your ACL. If you find out from your doctor that you have torn your ACL, they will most likely recommend reconstructive surgery in order to restore your ACL to its former state.
Your knee may never quite feel the same again, but the movement and stability of your knee will definitely improve with surgery. However, you can choose to opt out of surgery if you wish.
There are techniques and things you can do in order to try to recover without surgery. If you are someone who is not very active, you may want to opt out of surgery because your injury does not interfere with your regular daily activities.
It is important to be careful when trying to heal your ACL on your own, however, because many people with a torn ACL end up developing a torn meniscus on their knee as well. A torn meniscus often contributes to the onset of arthritis.
If you do decide to get the surgery, you will most likely be able to resume playing sports and doing your normal activities within four to six months of your surgery. This can be extremely limiting, especially if you are a professional or semi-professional athlete.
This is why tearing the ACL is so detrimental to many athletes’ careers. If you have torn your ACL and you decide to go in for surgery, you must prepare adequately so you can have the best outcome possible from the surgery.
If you need a knee doctor in Salt Lake, Hofmann Institute has a doctor that will fit your needs. Hofmann Institute has a knee doctor in Salt Lake that will work with you to help you get your ACL back in working order.