#Acl surgery recovery manual#
Early sessions will typically involve range-of-motion exercises and soft tissue treatments that may include manual manipulation. Physical therapy usually commences one to two weeks after surgery. Also, bracing can be helpful, and most surgeons will give a brace to a patient to restrict range of motion. Active assist and passive range-of-motion exercises help with knee extension. Cold compression and icing controls swelling and reduces pain. This can be accomplished with the aid of cold compression therapy, such as a Cryo-cuff.
Immediately following surgery, patients are advised to work on fully extending their leg. Generally, as sessions with a physical therapist decrease, patients must perform more exercises at home. There are different treatment plans and protocols, but a program should include exercises for strength and flexibility, endurance, coordination, and agility, a well as restoring normal gait patterns and improving proprioception and balance. Physical therapy treatment plans will differ somewhat, based on what type of graft was used during surgery and whether other parts of the knee, such as the meniscus, need to be repaired. Physical therapy rehabilitation is essential to regain normal range of motion and to resume pre-surgery activities.
Recovery is affected by the severity of the injury, the extent of the surgery, and the diligence with which one follows their rehabilitation program. It normally takes several months, and in some cases up to a year, in order to fully recover from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery. How will I recover from Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Surgery?