The knee is perhaps one of the most complicated pieces of the body. It allows you to take part in everyday activities like walking, jumping, and running. Considering the anatomy of the knee, it is easy to understand why the knee is more susceptible to injuries. When knees are stressed unnecessarily, the ligaments are affected, which may also damage bones in the long run. While anyone can injure their knee, people who are more prone to these injuries are mostly athletes and sports professionals.
Causes & Symptoms
One of the most common knee injuries is related to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). It mostly occurs during sports like basketball, soccer, tennis, gymnastics etc. that involve sudden irregular movements along with jumping and running. It is caused by stretching or tearing of one of the major ligaments in the knee called anterior cruciate ligament. ACL helps in stabilizing your knee, so if it has undergone an injury, even partial tearing will result in an enormous amount of pain and swelling. If it is not taken seriously in the first place, it can further lead to more serious damage.
When you injure your ACL, you generally hear a ‘popping’ sound which is followed by swelling severe pain. Due to this pain, you will find difficulty in walking. If the tear is minor, the swelling and pain goes away on its own but only if you refrain yourself from indulging in major sports activities or athletics.
Diagnosis and Treatment
- Most ACL injuries can be diagnosed manually. Your doctor will examine your injured knee by comparing it to the non-injured one. To further determine the damage, several tests are performed on the knee. Some of the common tests to evaluate the damage of the ACL injury include pivot-shift test, anterior draw test, and lachman test
- Diagnosis is further confirmed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). With the help of MRI, the images of the tissues like ligaments can be taken easily. An X-Ray can also be additionally performed
- The treatment of ACL largely depends upon the extent of the injury and the lifestyle of the concerned person. For instance, if you are someone who is regularly involved in physical activities, primarily, sports, and need to resume the athletics, you should better go for surgical treatments as you don’t want ACL to lead to some serious damages in the future.
Prevention
ACL injury can be effectively prevented by taking the following measures:
- You can prevent your knees from getting injured if you learn how to move with good alignment and develop body awareness
- If you are involved in sports, always try to land, jump or run with your knees directly over your feet
- Always warm up before playing as it will help in the circulation of blood into your muscles and joints
- It is a good practice to stretch before your game. Stretching particularly pays attention to areas which are not flexible
- Get involved in the injury prevention programs to improve flexibility, balance and your ability to land properly
Along with the above-mentioned practices, it is advisable to wear kneecaps or braces. They are comfortable to wear and provide the necessary support to your knee while walking or even running. It is made of soft quality material that allows easy movement. Whether you have previously suffered from an ACL injury or want to prevent it in the future, getting a kneecap for yourself will help a great deal. If you want to buy the best quality knee caps online, then Smart Medical Buyer is your go-to portal. It is an online platform that offers a wide variety of medical equipment and devices. So, whether you are looking for the latest medical products like electronic stethoscopes or you simply want to inquire about the hearing aid battery price.
Recovery
Although recovering from ACL surgery is not a quick process, but if you follow the following tips you would be able to fasten the process.
- Enroll yourself in ACL rehabilitation program by contacting a physical therapist. The goal of this program is to regain flexion of the knee joint and build balance
- A proper diet plan is needed to ensure that you recover fast. It is recommended to include protein enriched food items in your diet plan. Green leafy vegetables like spinach are also helpful in healing your body faster
- You must use certain relaxation exercises to reduce anxiety pertaining to your recovery. Also, try getting quality sleep as it will help in repairing tissues and promote healing.
After injury, your knee requires stability more than ever. While some go for invasive surgeries, many tend to delay it because of the costs incurred. Whether you go for a surgery or not, it is important to take care of your injured knee so that you can resume your daily activities at the earliest.
Summary
The article discusses the basics of Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury including ways to prevent the injury and taking care if you do injure it somehow.
