Tips for Preventing an ACL Knee Ligament Injury
ACL injuries are pretty common in athletes and sportspersons. So it is necessary to know how to prevent ACL injury so that you don’t have to leave the season in between. As per the statistics, the percentage of the patients of ACL treatments are athletes, thus indicating higher chances of sports injuries. Fortunately, if they follow these ACL tear prevention tips carefully, the injuries can be avoided.
Here are a few of the best tips for the prevention of ACL tear:
ACL injuries are frightening for every athlete out there because it causes extreme pain and decreases their strength. Here are a few ACL tear prevention tips to save your day:
Strength training: The knee joint comprises three bones- femur, tibia and patella and four ligaments holding them together. The ACL is diagonally placed in the centre of the knee and is responsible for rotational flexibility and movement.
Weak knee bones, muscles and ligaments can increase the probability of ACL injury. To avoid ACL injury, do strength training targeting the region. It would enhance the flexibility, thus preventing ACL injury. The strength training should include high-intensity jumping plyometrics and exercises that strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings.
Balance: A large percentage of ACL injuries usually occur due to sudden change of direction of motion, stopping or slowing down, improper landing or crashing down. Doing balanced strength training of the small muscles of the feet, legs, and knees helps avoid ACL injury. It also helps in getting higher resilience and reaction time.
Warm-up and stretching: It is incredibly essential to have warm-up sessions before indulging in any high-intensity activity. An essential torn ACL prevention tip is to do warm-up and stretching without fail. Without it, the muscles and ligaments are usually cold and stiff and thus at high risk of injury. The warm-up would loosen out the muscles and activate them, which helps in ACL tear prevention or reduce the extent and intensity of the damage.
Stretching is also one of the ACL recovery tips and helps relax the muscles and ligaments. While stretching, focus on the front and back muscles of your thigh. Also, stretch the ankle muscles. It helps in ACL tear prevention due to a misguided ankle leading to twisting the ankles and leg.
Good quality footwear and technique: If you use a pair of shoes which do not fit you properly, it can lead to imbalance and increase the chance of tripping over, ankle twists and any kind of sudden shock which can pass on to the knee joint and cause an ACL injury. Thus, before heading out, make sure to wear the shoe which properly fits you and all the required athletic gear.
Besides, following the proper athletic technique is equally important for torn ACL prevention. The correct technique can help learn and avoid significant high impact damage to the body. So consult with a coach or physical trainer before trying any new technique or even using the old ones. With their expertise in the field, they would ensure that the technique you want to implement in your routine is safe to perform. Their guidance would also help to correct your posture and improvise your technique.
Consult with a sports medicine specialist: Consulting with an expert in the athletic and sports field would be the best option to understand the actual root problem. They would do a few physical tests to understand the musculoskeletal weakness. If you visit an orthopaedic doctor, they will examine and find the weak muscles that are prone to sprain, tear and injury. Then, as per the diagnosis, they would advise exercises and activities to strengthen these areas.
The sports medicine specialist would also examine if all your joints are working properly or are there any conditions hindering them. They would give the best ACL recovery tips for your injury. They may suggest knee braces. Some of the best knee braces to prevent ACL injury are available on the market.
At Germanten hospital, our team of healthcare professionals are well experienced and qualified to provide the best treatment to our patients along with the ways to prevent ACL injury. So book an appointment with the orthopaedic experts at Germanten Hospital to get the best ACL recovery tips.