The 3 biggest mistakes I see in ACL Rehab
Waiting until after surgery to start Physio
The first mistake happen BEFORE ACL reconstruction surgery. The first mistake is failure to prioritize PREHAB. Once you’ve torn your ACL and you’re awaiting for Surgery don’t wait to start your Rehab - start straight away. The evidence is clear - the better your knee is pre surgery the better your recovery will be post surgery. The goals of ACL PREHAB include the following:
Reduce pain and swelling
Normalise gait (walking pattern)
Restore full range of motion
Build Quad size and strength
Improve general hamstring, calf, and core strength
prepare for the post surgical rehab process.
Don’t waste the weeks or months prior to surgery. Get started on your Prehab - your knee will thank you later.
If you’re convinced of the importance of prehab to ensure the best outcome but are unsure what to do we would love to help you!
2. Failure to regain full range of motion
After ACL surgery it is vital to restore full flexion (bending your knee) and extension (straightening your knee) range of motion. Now there are some instances where your range will be restricted for the first few weeks following surgery. This is the case if you have a meniscus repair for example where you will be restricted to 90 degrees of flexion for approximately 6 weeks. There are some other instances where your range of motion may be limited in the first few weeks post operatively as well. But overall I tend to see a complacency among patients when it comes to regain full range of motion. This is a key priority in the early phase of ACL rehab.
I often speak about the importance of getting the knee straight. One error I see is that patients will sit in a lazy boy type arm chair with the knee bent slightly and will remain in this position for a long duration. This will reinforce the loss of extension range of motion. Instead we need to be aggressive (within tolerable limits of course) with getting the knee straight. Main reason for this is that it’s very hard to walk with a normal gait and get good quad activation without a straight knee.
If you want a clear range of motion plan to restore full movement or are struggling regaining your range post surgery we’d love to work with you.
3. Ditching the crutches too early
I get it! No one likes walking with crutches. They’re cumbersome, they get in the way, and in many ways get in the way of doing daily activities and tasks. However the reality is that most people ditch their crutches before they are physically ready to deal with the demands of walking. What typically happens is that you will start walking with a sloppy gait that can create more harm than good. I am more conservative with my patients and try hard to convince them to stay on crutches longer so they can retain quality with their walking pattern and ensure they have adequate knee extension range and quad strength (and hamstring strength for that matter).
If you want to get the best possible outcome following your ACL surgery avoid these 3 errors! We love helping people return to their physical best after ACL injury. Reach out today and let’s begin the journey towards achieving your rehab potential.
