{"id":7878,"date":"2019-07-05T06:44:23","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T06:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=7878"},"modified":"2021-04-20T14:05:40","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T14:05:40","slug":"14-things-to-keep-in-mind-about-acl-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-things-to-keep-in-mind-about-acl-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Things to Keep in Mind About ACL Injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You have probably heard the term \u201cACL\u201d before now, particularly if you are a sports fan. That\u2019s because the ACL is a really common sports injury. However, playing sports is not the only way that someone can damage their ACL. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, this condition is so serious when it happens that it requires surgery before the players able to go out and play once again. In other cases, the injuries are severe enough to prevent players from ever playing the game again. But you don\u2019t have to be a sport professional to get an ACL injury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are other ways that you can damage your ACL and when that happens it can affect other parts of your life as well. Let\u2019s look at some of the things that you want to keep in mind when it comes to ACL injuries. They may give you some hints on prevention and treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. ACL Injuries Can Be Serious<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first thing to keep in mind about ACL injuries<\/a> is that they can be serious; most of the time, an ACL injury will heal up and allow you to get back to the activities that you were doing. But an ACL injury is a serious one because if you cannot get it to heal up then you may have difficulty walking, bending over and doing a whole lot of other things.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People that have had serious ACL injuries have ended up having to take an electric wheelchair around because their body is no longer able to move in the way that it was. That\u2019s why it is important to see a doctor immediately if you suspect that you sustain an ACL injury. The sooner you can get treatment, the more chance you will have of ensuring that your ACL injury does not end up disabling you for a long period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. There Are Specific Symptoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are definitely some specific symptoms <\/a>and signs that come with an ACL injury. The ACL is the complex knee joint, so you will hear a loud popping sound or feel a popping sensation when you damage your ACL. This is one of the first things that athletes and other people notice when their ACL goes out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost immediately, the pain will start to spread from that knee and outward. You may not even be able to leave the area that you are in because the pain will be so intense. Your knee will also begin to swell up although this takes a little bit longer. You are going to be unable to move your knee or bend it and you will lose most of your range of motion and that leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may also have trouble walking on that knee and you may have to be carried out on a stretcher or be supported by people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. They Are Not Restricted to Sports Injuries<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While ACL injuries are often discussed in sports competitions, and athletes are quite prone to getting them, ACL injuries are certainly not restricted to sports events and professional athletes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any activity that you do that requires a great deal of stress <\/a>on the knee joint could put you at risk for an ACL injury. This might include anything from rollerskating to dancing. This certainly could include regular exercise if you are doing a great deal of weight during squats and it may even include certain types of work such as the type of work or you carry a heavy load in have to put pressure on your knees in order to move the load around.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just be aware that ACL injuries can happen anywhere to anyone at any time. You\u2019ll have to be a professional athlete to get an ACL injury, but you should take it seriously if you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. They Can Be Prevented<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

ACL injuries can definitely be prevented in most cases. Often, an ACL injury happens because the knee joint <\/a>is not used to that much pressure and strain. You have to work your way up to that with the body or lease warm-up that joint so that is more prepared for what is coming.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proper training and proper exercise technique are two of the major ways that an ACL injury can be avoided. In addition, if you are an athlete, consulting with a sports medicine physician may help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Normally, physical therapy is done after an injury has been sustained, but in the case of an ACL injury, there may be something to having physical therapy to prevent an ACL injury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, doing exercises that strengthen the leg muscles like hamstring exercises so there is a balance in leg muscle strength is important as our exercises that strengthen the core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Certain Actions Can Cause Them<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are certain actions making cause ACL injuries. They often happen during sporting events or while working out. What you have to understand is what the actions are the cause them and why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This first starts with understanding that the ACL is one of two ligaments across the middle of your knee and connects your thigh bone to your shinbone. It also helps to stabilize the knee joint so that it does not move around needlessly. Understanding that can help you understand why actions like suddenly slowing down and changing direction can cause damage to this ligament<\/a>, pivoting when your foot is planted on the ground, jumping and landing awkwardly, stopping suddenly or receiving a direct impact on that area such as someone tackling you while playing football.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are all actions that should be avoided in order to prevent an ACL injury from happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. There Are Risk Factors Involved<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are also certain risk factors<\/a> involved that make some people more likely to get an ACL injury than others. If you can understand what these risk factors are, then you will know if you fall into a group of high-risk individuals and able to take even more care than you already are to prevent an ACL injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those risk factors includes being female. Researchers are not exactly sure why, but females have a higher chance of injuring their ACL when participating in certain sports; for example, football, gymnastics, downhill skiing, soccer, and basketball. This might be due to hormones, muscle strength or differences in male and female anatomy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, poor conditioning or not wearing the right footwear can both be risk factors as they can not wearing the right gear for a specific sport. You want to make sure that you are ready to play and you have the right shoes in the right gear for whatever sport you\u2019re playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. This Injury May Lead to Complications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Having an ACL injury can also lead to complications. For example, those that suffer an ACL injury have a greater risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knee later in life. This is true even if you have complete reconstruction surgery <\/a>of the ligament.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not every one that injured their ACL will get arthritis of the knee, but the chances of getting it are much higher, particularly if you are already prone to getting arthritis. However, there are several factors that come into play such as how severe the original injury was, whether there have been any related injuries in that area and how much activity there was after the injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8. Certain Types of Gear May Help<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is some gear out there that may help you in preventing an ACL injury. For one thing, you want to be wearing the right kinds of shoes. If you are an athlete, then you likely know what shoes you should be wearing for a particular sport. You also want to wear padding that is appropriate for the sport that you are playing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, you want to make sure that your gear is on properly. For example, in downhill skiing, making sure that your ski bindings are tight and adjusted correctly will ensure even skiing and you want to make sure that they release quickly if you fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One method is that wearing a knee <\/a>brace can help prevent ACL injuries, but there has been no evidence to support this so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

<\/div>