Common Exercises Performed Throughout An Acl Physical Therapy

Your ACL or anterior cruciate ligament is among the most important ligaments located in your knee since it helps with the stability as well as movement of the joint. This ligament attaches the tibia bone to the shin bone. If your ACL is torn or injured, you must go through ACL physical therapy although you may not need any surgery. This rehabilitation includes both weight bearing and non-weight bearing exercises as well as closed and open kinetic chain exercises. If these exercises are done efficiently, you will see great improvement on you knee with regards to its stability, movement and strength. Below is the list of popular exercises applied in such therapy. However, it's still better to talk to your therapist for the exercises suitable for you.

Improve Stability

The exercises to improve your knees stability need you to be in weight bearing or standing position. As your knee is injured, you may use a table or chair to hold on to while performing the exercises. These include step downs plus single leg balance. For step downs, you must stand on a step and then bend the injured knee slowly while placing your other leg down the step. For the single leg balance, you have to stand on one leg for about sixty seconds. Use your injured leg when performing this exercise. This may be done two or three times a week.

Strength

Exercises which are non-weight bearing and open kinetic are carried out to strengthen the knee. You have to do straight leg lifts that entail raising your leg while being seated and holding it for five to ten seconds. You have to perform this with your legs straight. One more exercise is called bridges. In this exercise, you will have to lie down with your knees bent and your feet should be on the floor raising your butt for ten seconds. During the course of your ACL physical therapy, your exercises will gradually become intense as your knee becomes stronger.

Range of motion

Once you have an ACL injury, the injured knee is swollen which would result in stiffness and also limited movement. Within the initial phases of the therapy, your physical therapist will massage it and will make an effort to move your knee to improve its flexibility. As soon as the movement of your knee improves, you will be made to perform some heel slides and props exercises. Your heel will be placed on a rolled up pillow or towel. Then you will slide your heel whilst bending your knee. This exercise shouldbe performed almost every day.

These are generally some exercises that will help you recover when you have an ACL injury. Therefore, it is vital to have ACL physical therapy to be able to regain the normal functioning of your knee.