Treatment for ACL Injuries by Dr Chirag Patel, Best Orthopaedic Surgeon in Mumbai:
ACL injuries are the most painful, and unfortunately most common type of injuries suffered by athletes all around the world. Being one of the most agonizing injuries an athlete can go through, ACL tear and injury can potentially de-rail and even end an athlete’s chances of taking the field if it is not treated by an orthopaedic surgeon.
If you are a budding athlete you might have across this agonizing ligament injury and if you haven’t yet, it is high time you should be aware of the injury and necessary measures to prevent this injury. If you are looking for the same, then this write-up is for you.
In this blog, we help you understand the nature of the injury and give you a few tips that can help you reduce the risk of ACL injury. So, read on:
What is the ACL? How is it injured?
Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of the four primary ligaments that make the knee joint, the most important and complex joint in the human body. Being a weight-bearing joint, knee joint regularly faces high-magnitude forces from the ground, even more so if you are an athlete. The job of these ligaments is to connect the thigh bone and shin bone to keep the knee joint stable.
But when the knee is forced into an abnormal movement with a sudden force – bent backwards, side to side, or twisted, the ligaments are put under rapid tension and are torn. This can happen when the knee is dealt with a direct blow or during field movements that involve abnormal landing from a jump, slowing down or changing the direction rapidly while running.
Symptoms &Treatment for ACL injuries:
Pain, knee swelling, limited range of motion, discomfort, inability to move and knee giving out are some of the symptoms of ACL injury.
An orthopaedic surgeon diagnosis the knees and classifies the ACL injury as Grade 1, 2, and 3 based on the severity of the injury. Both surgical and non-surgical treatment options are available based on patient condition, age and a possible return to the sports activity.
While ACL can potentially keep you away from your sport and physical activity it is wise to take the following preventive measures to reduce the risk of the injury:
- Strengthening the leg muscles – quads, hamstrings and calf muscle adequately (stronger quads and weaker hamstrings are found to be a risk factor for ACL injuries)
- Learning the proper technique for the specific movement especially while lending during the jump, turning, and stopping after a rapid run.
- Warm-up and be mindful of the surface you are playing on and always wear appropriate footwear.
However, the risk no matter how small always looms over the athletes but do remember that having a prompt medical help does reduce the repercussions of the injury. So we advise you to receive a prompt medical help from a best orthopaedic surgeon in Mumbai and if you are looking for one, Dr Chirag Patel is the best orthopaedic surgeon in Mumbai and is an expert in ACL treatment in Mumbai.