The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can be torn in many ways in El Paso, Texas. Most commonly, this knee injury is caused by sudden starts, stops and changes of direction. If you have a torn ACL, it’s possible that your injury can heal without the need for surgery, and there are three factors that can affect the length of your ACL recovery time.
- Balancing resting and therapeutic movement
In general, the recovery time for ACL tears is about six to nine months without surgery. However, balancing resting the ACL with therapeutic movement can help keep you in the lower end of this range. Rest is important for ACL tears because your body does most of its healing when you aren’t moving. On the other hand, too much rest can increase your recovery time, and this is because it can lead to weakness in muscles that support the injured knee. Keeping your muscles strong while giving your ACL enough time to rest is a delicate balance, but finding this balance can help speed up your recovery.
- Avoiding certain activities
Doing certain activities can have a negative effect on your ACL tear recovery time. For example, jumping places a high level of strain on this ligament, and the extra strain can cause the ACL tear to worsen. Another activity you should avoid with this injury is heavy leg workouts, and this is especially true if you typically do exercises like squats or leg extensions with a lot of weight. Other activities that can increase ACL tear recovery times include running, cycling and swimming. The best way to keep these activities from increasing your recovery time is to avoid them until your doctor or physical therapist clears you.
- Participating in physical therapy
Participating in physical therapy is another factor that can help decrease the time it takes for an ACL tear to recover. For people in El Paso, this step is one of the easiest to take because Border Therapy Services has seven clinics in your area.
Our team has experience treating a wide range of knee injuries, and we offer free screenings to ensure you’re being treated for the right condition. We also build every one of our therapy plans so that they’re personalized to each patient, and our therapists are experts at using therapy techniques such as:
Our plans are designed to provide you with benefits like faster recovery and reduced pain during your recovery.
Take the next step to get our help with your ACL tear. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.