The torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is one of the most common season-ending sports injuries. This injury has received a lot of press recently, particularly regarding the numerous female athletes who have sustained it. Fairport’s Caitlyn Howe and WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes are just two of the most recent athletes to sustain the injury. Regardless of whether the injury affects a male or female, rehabilitation can be tedious and last from 6 to 12 months.
Although many athletes undergo surgical reconstruction or repair of the torn ACL, there are some athletes who are able to participate in their sport without a surgical repair. This depends upon several factors, including the type of tear they sustain, which other structures are injured, and the amount of stability provided by other knee ligaments, cartilage and muscles within the same knee. When this injury occurs, the knee usually collapses and there is considerable pain and swelling. Anyone suffering this injury can usually sense a certain amount of instability in his/her own knee.. The knee will feel somewhat loose, as if it is slipping or even give out at times. With the help of orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists, athletes can make a decision regarding surgery. If the knee is very unstable, surgery will usually restore enough stability so that an athlete can return to their sport.
Following either surgical or non-surgical treatment (a prescribed period of rest and/or bracing), the injured knee must be rehabilitated. The goals of rehabilitation are to restore strength, motion, and functional ability, and to eliminate pain, swelling and instability. It is here where traditional strengthening exercises and specialized rehabilitation are merged. Traditional strengthening exercises will restore most of the strength to the muscles around the knee. Specialized stability exercises, usually taught under the supervision of a physical therapist, involve various hopping, pivoting, stepping and jumping maneuvers. This phase of rehabilitation is sometimes referred to as functional rehab, since it mimics things that the injured person may wish to be able to do without their knee giving out. The variety of functional rehab exercises used will depend upon what activity the injured individual is striving to return to. Some of the exercises are so helpful that many non-injured athletes are now using them to enhance performance and prevent injuries.
Tony Oliveri is a licensed physical therapist and owns Oliveri Physical Therapy and Sports Training in Rochester.
Showing posts with label anterior knee pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anterior knee pain. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Get Hip to Your Knees
Anterior knee pain, or “patello-femoral” pain is one of the most common orthopedic problems in adolescents and young adults. It can occur in more than 25% of people in those age groups. It is even more common in females than in males. Since there is often no injury that precedes the pain, the diagnosis and treatment is difficult to determine. The pain can come and go for years if the cause remains undetermined.
Recent research has determined that many individuals with patello-femoral pain also have weak hip muscles. To investigate the theory that hip weakness may lead to knee pain, researchers at the University of Southern California placed individuals with patello-femoral pain on a physical therapy program to strengthen their hips. Patients on the program experienced significant reduction in knee pain. A few of the exercises that can be done at home include sideways leg raises, as well as balancing on one foot, while not allowing the hip to sag to either side.
Along with identifying weak hip muscles, physical therapists and physicians are often able to identify abnormal movement of the thigh or lower leg which may be putting excessive stress on the patello-femoral joint (or front of the knee). Those problems can be addressed with individually-tailored exercises to correct the movement, strengthen the muscles performing the movement, and reduce knee pain. Those type of exercises are often very successful.
Other treatments that are done for anterior knee pain include quadriceps strengthening, taping of the kneecap, bracing, stretching, and electrical muscle stimulation. In addition, arch supports for the feet are sometimes prescribed to control foot movement and improve leg alignment and relieve knee pain. The emphasis on treatment of body parts and movements connected to the knee has decreased the frequency of surgery for this particular knee problem.
Recent research has determined that many individuals with patello-femoral pain also have weak hip muscles. To investigate the theory that hip weakness may lead to knee pain, researchers at the University of Southern California placed individuals with patello-femoral pain on a physical therapy program to strengthen their hips. Patients on the program experienced significant reduction in knee pain. A few of the exercises that can be done at home include sideways leg raises, as well as balancing on one foot, while not allowing the hip to sag to either side.
Along with identifying weak hip muscles, physical therapists and physicians are often able to identify abnormal movement of the thigh or lower leg which may be putting excessive stress on the patello-femoral joint (or front of the knee). Those problems can be addressed with individually-tailored exercises to correct the movement, strengthen the muscles performing the movement, and reduce knee pain. Those type of exercises are often very successful.
Other treatments that are done for anterior knee pain include quadriceps strengthening, taping of the kneecap, bracing, stretching, and electrical muscle stimulation. In addition, arch supports for the feet are sometimes prescribed to control foot movement and improve leg alignment and relieve knee pain. The emphasis on treatment of body parts and movements connected to the knee has decreased the frequency of surgery for this particular knee problem.
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