You could be searching for strategies to recover from your ACL surgery as soon as feasible. While most individuals understand the need for rehabilitation following surgery, not everyone is aware that a good recovery begins prior to the procedure. Finding a physical therapist in your area should be your first step. After that, you and your therapist can determine the most effective pre- and post-rehab schedule to achieve your goals.
What To Do Before the Surgery
When you get together with a physical therapist in Oklahoma City, In addition to looking over your medical history and discussing your goals, she or he will evaluate your knee and the muscles that surround it. A suggested treatment plan for any pre-surgery goals you may have will be given to you.
Control Swelling and Pain
Some people’s first objective is to lessen their agony. Your therapist will employ a variety of techniques to address this if that is the case. Hot or cold treatment, electrical stimulation, trigger point therapy, manual therapy, and dry needling are a few possible techniques.
Improve Muscle Strength
Your therapist will suggest exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus medius, once it is more comfortable to move the knee. Enhancing strength prior to surgery will make it simpler to recover and optimize strength thereafter. Strengthening the muscles also minimizes stress on the knee.
Improve Balance
Improving your balance and proprioception may be another goal pre-surgery. This helps keep your knees in better alignment, which reduces strain on them. Because these exercises can be challenging for someone with ACL issues, your therapist will determine whether they should be a part of your pre-surgery plan and which movements you can handle.
Restore Range of Motion
If you can fully straighten your leg before the surgery, the chances you will restore normal range of motion after the surgery increase tremendously. Examples of exercises that can help include heel slides, stationary bikes, and prone hang. You should not perform them if they cause you pain.
What You Can Do After to Speed Up Recovery
Everyone heals and recovers at different speeds, but if you work with Yukon physical therapy to optimize the function of your knee prior to the surgery, your chance of a speedy recovery is much improved.
In general, the aims following the operation are the same as before. Your therapist will try to get you off the crutches within the first week or two by minimizing your discomfort and swelling. After that, you may start focusing on adding exercises that will enhance your strength, balance, and range of motion.
The total number of weeks for complete rehab varies greatly, but many clients are almost back to normal around eight weeks. If you participated in pre-rehab, the total time will more than likely be shorter. Your physical therapist will conduct tests along the process to determine when your knee is stable, and you can move on to the next phase of healing.