ClickCease
+1-915-850-0900 spinedoctors@gmail.com
Select Page
Non-Surgical Treatments for ACL Injuries: A Comprehensive Guide

Non-Surgical Treatments for ACL Injuries: A Comprehensive Guide

Can athletic individuals with ACL injuries find relief through non-surgical treatments to restore knee mobility?

Introduction

The body’s lower extremities help the individuals to be mobile but also help stabilize the body’s upper weight. From the hips to the feet, many people are on their feet and using every muscle group to allow functionality. Athletic individuals use their lower extremities to do various physical activities and are susceptible to injuries. An ACL injury is one of the most common and feared injuries that can impact an athletic person’s performance. These types of injuries affect the knees of the individual and can make a person feel miserable. However, numerous surgical and non-surgical treatments can help the recovery process of an ACL injury while helping the individual restore their motion to their lower extremities. Today’s article looks at what an ACL injury is, how it affects the knees, and how non-surgical treatments can help restore knee mobility from ACL injuries. We discuss with certified associated medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to assess ACL injuries affecting their mobility. We also inform and guide patients while asking their associated medical provider intricate questions to integrate and provide them with numerous non-surgical treatments to be incorporated into their personalized treatment plan. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

 

What Is An ACL Injury?

 

Do you feel aches or pains around your knees after a long exercise regime? Do you feel or hear a loud popping sensation in your knees? Or do you experience pain and swelling affecting your ability to be mobile? Many of these pain-like scenarios are correlated with ACL injuries, that is amongst the most common and feared injuries for athletic individuals and non-athletic individuals. However, we must look at the ACL itself to better understand ACL injuries. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) plays an important role as it helps with knee joint stabilization, prevents excessive forward movements from the tibia (shin bone), and limits rotational knee movements. (Yoo & Marappa-Ganeshan, 2024) This ligament is one of the most injured structures affecting athletic performance. ACL injuries and tears can lead to many individuals having knee instability and an increased risk of future knee osteoarthritis. (Atik, 2024) This is because ACL injuries typically occur during physical activities involving sudden stops, jumps, or directional impacts to the knees.

 

How Does It Affect The Knees?

So, how do ACL injuries affect the knees of the individual? As stated earlier, the ACL is a crucial ligament that stabilizes the knee joint during movement. When that ligament is injured, it can cause pain-like symptoms like:

  • Pain
  • Limited range of motion
  • Knee instability
  • Altered biomechanics

This causes many people to have reduced physical activity levels, which can become a great economic burden to their daily routine. (Wang et al., 2020)  When dealing with ACL injuries, it can also affect the meniscus in the knees as cartilage erosion often accelerates and can potentially lead to early osteoarthritis, which correlates with ACL injuries. (Key et al., 2022) However, when a person is dealing with ACL injuries, there are numerous treatments to reduce the pain-like symptoms caused by ACL injuries and help restore knee mobility.


Overcoming An ACL Injury-Video


Non-Surgical Treatments For ACL Injuries

 

When finding the right treatment for ACL injuries, many individuals can incorporate non-surgical treatments as part of their customized treatment plan. Non-surgical treatments can vary and may be suitable for individuals with partial ACL tears and knee instability and who have been involved in low-impact sports. When athletic individuals are dealing with ACL injuries, by incorporating non-surgical treatments, they can address the impairments, achieve functional stability, and safely return to their physical activities while improving the neuromuscular system to achieve functional knee stability. (Diermeier et al., 2020) Non-surgical treatments can positively impact many individuals by relieving the overlapping pain-like issues affecting the knees and the severity of ACL injuries.

 

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is one of the many non-surgical treatments that can benefit individuals dealing with ACL injuries. Chiropractic care incorporates mechanical and manual manipulation to diagnose and treat any musculoskeletal issues associated with ACL injuries and emphasizes the body’s natural ability to heal itself. For many athletic and non-athletic individuals with ACL injuries, chiropractic care can offer several benefits:

  • Pain management
  • Enhancing mobility and flexibility
  • Improving balance
  • Strengthening supporting muscles

Chiropractic care can help individuals by stretching and strengthening weak muscles and soft tissues that can help break down scar tissues that may have surrounded the knee while improving blood flow to the injured area. Chiropractors can also incorporate specific rehabilitation exercises and physical therapy for the individual, focusing on strength, flexibility, and stability in the knees and surrounding muscles.

 

Physical Therapy

Another form of non-surgical treatment is through physical therapy. Physical therapy can help many individuals with ACL injuries through strength training, balance, and range of motion exercises that are catered to strengthen the surrounding muscles and help maintain the knee’s stability, flexibility, and mobility. Stretching exercises like Pilates and Tai Chi are favorable for ACL rehabilitation as they are important for functional outcomes and ACL stability. (Giummarra et al., 2022) Additionally, many individuals can utilize a functional knee brace to provide additional support to the knees when doing any physical therapy, as they can help stabilize the knee and prevent unwanted movements that could exacerbate the ACL injury. While ACL injuries are serious, non-surgical treatments offer viable alternatives for many athletes. Individuals can effectively manage their injuries and lead active, fulfilling lives by focusing on physical therapy, utilizing supportive braces, and adopting lifestyle modifications.

 


References

Atik, O. S. (2024). The risk factors for second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear after ACL reconstruction. Jt Dis Relat Surg, 35(2), 255-256. doi.org/10.52312/jdrs.2024.57920

Diermeier, T., Rothrauff, B. B., Engebretsen, L., Lynch, A. D., Ayeni, O. R., Paterno, M. V., Xerogeanes, J. W., Fu, F. H., Karlsson, J., Musahl, V., Svantesson, E., Hamrin Senorski, E., Rauer, T., Meredith, S. J., & Panther Symposium, A. C. L. T. C. G. (2020). Treatment after anterior cruciate ligament injury: Panther Symposium ACL Treatment Consensus Group. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc, 28(8), 2390-2402. doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-06012-6

Giummarra, M., Vocale, L., & King, M. (2022). Efficacy of non-surgical management and functional outcomes of partial ACL tears. A systematic review of randomised trials. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 23(1), 332. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05278-w

Key, S., Baygin, M., Demir, S., Dogan, S., & Tuncer, T. (2022). Meniscal Tear and ACL Injury Detection Model Based on AlexNet and Iterative ReliefF. J Digit Imaging, 35(2), 200-212. doi.org/10.1007/s10278-022-00581-3

Wang, L. J., Zeng, N., Yan, Z. P., Li, J. T., & Ni, G. X. (2020). Post-traumatic osteoarthritis following ACL injury. Arthritis Res Ther, 22(1), 57. doi.org/10.1186/s13075-020-02156-5

Yoo, H., & Marappa-Ganeshan, R. (2024). Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament. In StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32644659

Disclaimer

What Patients of Chiropractic Want To Know About ACL Injuries

What Patients of Chiropractic Want To Know About ACL Injuries

ACL injuries are some of the most common sports-related injuries that doctors and chiropractors see. It occurs when one of the ligaments in the knee, the ACL, is torn. If left untreated, it can cause the person to have difficulty moving their knee or controlling its movements because of the breakdown of knee support. When this happens, the bones of the joint often rub against each other. Over time this can cause a condition called chronic ACL deficiency. Osteoarthritis can also occur due to the bones rubbing against each other, eroding the cartilage and meniscus. A chiropractor can help reduce the pain of an ACL injury and help prevent further damage.

What is an ACL Injury?

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a major ligament in the knee that connects the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shinbone) in the knee joint and provides stability for the knee. An ACL injury does not occur gradually, but instead usually happens suddenly. Most often they happen when a person is playing sports and jumps, stops suddenly, or makes a sudden change in direction. Soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, downhill skiing, gymnastics, and football.

acl injuries chiropractic treatment el paso tx.

What causes an ACL injury?

Sports and fitness activities, typically ones that place stress on the knee, are the most common causes of ACL injury. Specific actions that can lead to the tears include:

  • Pivoting when the foot is planted firmly
  • Sudden stops
  • Cutting or slowing and changing direction suddenly
  • Landing incorrectly from a jump
  • Being involved in a collision where the knee is hit or it causes any of the other listed actions
  • Receiving a direct, sudden, hard hit to the knee

The resulting tear can be minor and small or it can be severe, including a complete tear. In very mild cases, the ligament may be overextended but still intact.

What are the symptoms of an ACL injury?

People who experience an ACL injury will often hear a loud POP when it occurs. Other symptoms of an ACL injury include:

  • Severe or intense pain
  • Swelling (begins in the first few hours after the injury)
  • A feeling that the knee is unstable
  • A popping sensation in the knee
  • The knee feels like it �gives away� when bearing weight
  • Unable to continue the activity they were doing when the injury occurred
  • Loss of or decreased range of motion

Who is most at risk of having an ACL injury?

Statistically, when both men and women are participating in the same sports, women are more likely to sustain an ACL injury. Research shows that, generally speaking, women have a tendency to have an imbalance of strength in their thighs. Specifically, the quadriceps, the muscles in the front are typically stronger that the hamstrings, the muscles in the back. It�s the hamstrings that work to keep the shinbone from extending too far forward � the type of movement that overextends the ACL. Additionally, men and women athlete jump differently with women more likely to land in a manner that places extra stress on the knees.

How is an ACL injury treated?

There are several treatments for an ACL injury. Immediate treatment can help reduce swelling and pain that the injury causes. The R.I.C.E. model is the recommended self-care that the patient can do at home:

  • Rice
  • Ice
  • Compression
  • Elevation

In some cases, surgery may be recommended, but usually the best course of treatment includes physical therapy and chiropractic care. The knee may be braced and the patient may have to rest for a while before beginning physical therapy. A chiropractor can help not only treat the ACL injury, but also help correct any muscular imbalances that the patient may have.

Best Knee Injury Rehabilitation Therapy (2019)

ACL Sports Injury Therapy | El Paso, TX. | Video

ACL Sports Injury Therapy | El Paso, TX. | Video

ACL Sports Injury: Alexander Jimenez, champion wrestler, trained hard at Push-as-Rx, Crossfit & Athlete Rehabilitation, to gradually become the athlete he is today. When he suffered an ACL tear, Alexander Jimenez had to undergo surgery, where he then started his rehabilitation process at Push-as-Rx. With a clear focus in mind, Alexander Jimenez was able to overcome his difficulties and he became a champion wrestler. For Alexander Jimenez, Push-as-Rx provided him with the mental and physical edge he needed in order to become the best athlete he can be. Alexander Jimenez recommends Push-as-Rx to younger athletes and athletes who are looking to achieve their fitness goals.

ACL Sports Injury Therapy

Anterior cruciate ligament injury is when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or totally torn. The most common injury is a tear that is complete. Symptoms include pain, a popping sound during trauma, instability of the knee, and joint swelling. Swelling generally appears within a couple hours. In approximately 50 percent of cases, other structures of the knee, for example surrounding cartilage, ligaments, or the meniscus, are damaged. The underlying mechanism frequently involves a rapid change in direction, abrupt stop, landing after a jump, or direct contact into the knee. ACL tears are most common in athletes.

acl sports injury el paso tx.

If you have enjoyed this video and/or we have helped you in any way please feel free to subscribe and share us.

Thank You & God Bless.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, C.C.S.T

Facebook Clinical Page: www.facebook.com/dralexjimenez/

Facebook Sports Page: www.facebook.com/pushasrx/

Facebook Injuries Page: www.facebook.com/elpasochiropractor/

Facebook Neuropathy Page: www.facebook.com/ElPasoNeuropathyCenter/

Facebook Fitness Center Page: www.facebook.com/PUSHftinessathletictraining/

Yelp: El Paso Rehabilitation Center: goo.gl/pwY2n2

Yelp: El Paso Clinical Center: Treatment: goo.gl/r2QPuZ

Clinical Testimonies: www.dralexjimenez.com/category/testimonies/

Information:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dralexjimenez

Clinical Site: www.dralexjimenez.com

Injury Site: personalinjurydoctorgroup.com

Sports Injury Site: chiropracticscientist.com

Back Injury Site: elpasobackclinic.com

Rehabilitation Center: www.pushasrx.com

Fitness & Nutrition: www.push4fitness.com/team/

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/dralexjimenez/

Twitter: twitter.com/dralexjimenez

Twitter: twitter.com/crossfitdoctor

Injury Medical Chiropractic Clinic: Athletic Recovery & Rehabilitation

Mastodon