The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of four ligaments that keep your knee joint stable.
It can become damaged during sports that involve twisting at speed such as Skiing, Football, Netball and Ultimate Frisbee. (One of my clients tore hers’ playing this!)
Sometimes the injured athlete is able to stabilize their knee without the need for a reconstruction by strengthening the surrounding muscles but, more often than not, surgery is necessary. The ACL can be reconstructed using donor tissue from other parts of your body. Often a hamstring or adductor tendon, from the upper leg, is used. This procedure is usually performed by keyhole surgery and surface scarring is minimal. However, there may be plenty of damage under the skin.
After the operation, rehabilitation through Physiotherapy exercises and strength training will be necessary and it may take 6-12 months to make a full recovery. I have had success with Scarwork™ after these operations as this treatment seems to ease aches and pains within the knee joint, improve range of movement and reduce tensions in the area around the donor site. General Sports Massage will also help with improving the blood flow, reducing swelling and relaxing you so that you can perform your rehabilitation exercises more effectively.
If you have any questions or want to discuss, please get in touch.