How Does Orthopedic Physical Therapy Help You Recover After ACL Repair Surgery?
Your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is located in the front part of your knee, and it helps stabilize the entire knee joint. When you tear your ACL, your knee joint will become very unstable, and you might feel like it will give out at any moment if you put weight on it. Unfortunately, an ACL won't knit itself back together on its own, so it needs to be repaired surgically. When recovering from ACL repair surgery, one of the most important things you can do to get back to your normal activities is to undergo orthopedic physical therapy. To learn how physical therapy helps you recover after ACL repair surgery, read on.
Rebuilds Muscle Mass in Your Treated Leg
The most important function of orthopedic physical therapy after ACL surgery is that it helps you rebuild muscle mass. When you tear your ACL and need to have it surgically repaired, you won't be able to put weight on it for a short while after the surgery. Since you won't be walking or standing, this causes the muscles in your leg to atrophy from a lack of use.
Orthopedic physical therapy will teach you exercises that are safe for you to perform after your surgery that will strengthen the muscles in your leg. This is important for athletes since it helps them get back to exercising and competing more quickly. It's also important for people who don't play sports because keeping your leg muscles strong will make it easier to walk without experiencing any issues with balance.
Helps Stop You From Losing Range of Motion
One potential complication of ACL repair surgery is reduced range of motion in your knee joint. Scar tissue will form in the places where your ACL was repaired, and the scar tissue can lock your ACL in place and prevent it from stretching when you try to extend your leg.
Orthopedic physical therapy sessions help reduce the risk of this surgical complication. A physical therapist will help you safely move your leg throughout its normal range of motion while you're recovering from surgery, which helps stop scar tissue from forming and locking your ACL in place.
If you're scheduling surgery to repair your torn ACL, make sure you work with a skilled orthopedic physical therapy team to give yourself the best chance of a full recovery. Preserving your range of motion through gentle stretching and rebuilding the muscle mass you lost while unable to put weight on your knee joint by performing physical therapy exercises will help you recover from your surgery quickly and completely.
Contact a local orthopedic physical therapy service to learn more.
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