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Prevention and Self-Management Tips for ACL Injuries

by allurewellness February 3, 2017

written by allurewellness

What is an ACL injury?

An ACL injury is a serious injury that occurs to many athletes involved in rigorous or competitive sports.

The anterior cruciate ligament or ACL is a band of fibrous tissue or ligaments that connect the thigh bone to the shin.

This part of the knee helps ensure people do not end up rotating or twisting their knees uncontrollably.

ACL injuries are very common among athletes, especially those who are engaged in sports that involve rigorous jumping, pivoting, running, and sudden stops.

Torn ACL will require proper rehabilitation to ensure full recovery.

This type of injury should not be taken lightly as sans proper treatment and medical attention, it can leave the individual in extreme pain.

If you are involved in rigorous sports, the tendency of this type of injury occurring is relatively high.

For those who are involved in challenging sports and those who are experiencing this kind of injury, the following self-management (and prevention) tips can come in handy.

What needs to be done in the first 24 hours?

Tips for ACL Injuries

The first 24 hours after an ACL injury, affected individuals will experience extreme pain.

Inflammation will also manifest.

These symptoms are usually evident the first 2 hours after the injury occurred.

For proper treatment and self-management, the R.I.C.E. method is considered ideal:

Rest – resting the injured area should be a priority. Make sure you do not submit the affected area to further stress and strain so complications will not occur.
Ice – putting ice on the area every 2 hours (20 mins each time) is also recommended.
Compression – ideally, the injured area should be wrapped in elastic bandage.
Elevation – elevating the knee when laying down is also advisable. You can make use of pillows or other mechanical device for this purpose.

Seeing a sports doctor or a therapist for further and thorough evaluation should be done after administering first aid treatment.

How do you help ensure ACL injuries are prevented?

Regardless if you are involved in competitive/extreme sports or in a job that puts you at risk for ACL injuries, knowing the necessary prevention tips should be considered imperative.

Fortunately, for starters, there are proper training guides and exercises that can help significantly decrease the chances of an ACL injury occurring.

Once you have completed the assessment, you can visit your trainer, physical therapist, or doctors specializing in sports injuries so they can provide you with instructions, feedback, and insights you can integrate in your training and activities.

Some programs can include:

Exercises that help strengthen the abdomen, pelvis, hips, and the core.
Exercises that will not only strengthen but also stabilize the muscles. This also include exercises that provide balance.
Proper training techniques on the proper running, jumping, and landing should also be taught.
Proper training techniques on the right style of cutting, rotating, and landing should also be taught.

Proper management and treatment of ACL injuries is done on a case to case basis. To get the best treatment intervention, visit www.bjios.sg right away.

February 3, 2017 0 comments

What are the Symptoms of an ACL Injury?

by allurewellness February 2, 2017

written by allurewellness

An ACL injury or a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury is considered one of the most common (not to mention one of the most painful) injuries anyone can have.

The injury often occurs in individuals who are engaged in sports that entail frequent jumping or running, causing stress and strain to the ligament.

This type of injury is often considered one of the most painful because it involves the knees, one of the parts of the body that has the most nerves.

What is the ACL?

The anterior cruciate ligament or ACL is one of the four major ligaments found in the knee.

It is located in the knee’s middle and it prevents the shin bone from sliding in the front of the thigh bone.

The four ligaments situated in the knees provide the stability the knees need in order to work properly.

When forced or extended beyond their capabilities, these ligaments will be subjected to stress and strain and might tear or rupture.

What are the common symptoms of an ACL injury?

Typically, a torn ACL has 4 common symptoms.

It must be noted that this type of injury may require both surgery and prompt rehabilitation.

The most typical symptoms include:

A pop or a popping sound during the injury. This popping or pop is often very distinct.
An onset of intense pain. The pain associated with ACL injuries are often described as searing or burning.
The first few hours after the injury, intense swelling might manifest around the area that is injured.
Straightening or bending the knee might cause tightness and pain. Attempting to move the knee in any direction may also result to excruciating pain.

There are certain injuries however that will manifest some of the same symptoms of an ACL injury.

Some of these conditions or injuries include bone breakage, injuries to the knee cushions, and injuries to other parts of the knee like the ligaments.

A torn ACL has 4 common symptoms

What is chronic ACL deficiency?

The condition occurs when the joints of the knee becomes chronically unstable.

When this happens, the knees would give in to the pressure and give out.

Pain and inflammation may also manifest and movement will become very uncomfortable and challenging.

While not all who has an ACL injury might develop this deficiency, those who have had a history have a higher chance of developing the condition.

In cases where ACL injuries evolve into recurrent and lifelong ACL deficiency, the affected individual will experience inflammation and pain in the affected area especially when the knee gives out or buckles.

To increase your chances of keeping ACL deficiency at bay, it is important to ensure proper rehabilitation and restored function is observed prior to commencing with the performance of routine activities.

Sans thorough rehabilitation and restored function, an ACL deficiency has a huge chance of occurring.

Eventually, some cases of ACL deficiency can lead to osteoarthritis—another condition that affects the joints and the bones. To know more about osteoarthritis, click here.

While ACL injuries can be prevented, it is sometimes inevitable especially in people involved in rigorous sports.

To prevent any complications, it is important to check with your doctor right away so proper treatment and rehabilitation can be administered. Visit www.bjios.sg right away to know more.

February 2, 2017 0 comments

ACL injury is the medical term used to refer to the tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament of the ACL

Body injury

What are the Likely Treatment Options for ACL Injuries?

by allurewellness February 1, 2017

written by allurewellness

ACL injury is the medical term used to refer to the tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament of the ACL.

Typical ACL injuries typically occur in sports that involve drastic stops, sudden jumps, and changes in direction—tennis, gymnastics, downhill skiing, basketball, and soccer to name a few.

In most cases, affected individuals can feel and hear a “pop” during an ACL injury.

Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment options can range from rehabilitation, rest, or surgery.

Typical symptoms of ACL injuries include but are not limited to the following:

Inability to continue with any activity
Extreme pain
Loss of range of motion
Instability
Swelling

To accurately diagnose an ACL injury, physical examination and checking for swelling and tenderness will be done. The knee’s overall function will also be assessed.

While making a diagnosis can be done based merely on the physical examination, some tests will be required to rule out other possible causes and gauge the severity of the ACL injury.

Below are some of the possible tests that will be required:

X-rays – X-rays are often requested when your attending doctor would like to check for possible bone fractures.
Ultrasound – in order to check for any tendon, muscle, or ligament injuries, an ultrasound will be required. An ultrasound will employ sound waves to visualize the internal structures of the knee.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – MRIs make use of radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create images of the body’s soft and hard tissues. It is deemed an effective tool if the doctor would like to gauge the full extent of an ACL injury and check for other signs of possible damage.

Although prompt and proper first aid care can significantly reduce the swelling and pain caused by an ACL injury, other treatment alternatives might be required, depending on the severity.

Other treatment options include:

Rehabilitation

ACL injury treatment will often entail weeks of rehabilitative therapy

ACL injury treatment will often entail weeks of rehabilitative therapy.

Physical therapists will teach patients recommended exercises that can be performed at home or under their continued supervision.

In some instances, crutches are recommended so less stress and strain are placed on the knees. A brace might also be recommended to help stabilize the affected knee.

The primary goals of rehabilitation include muscle strengthening, reduction of swelling and pain, and restoration of full motion range.

Physical therapy can be very effective in treating an ACL injury if the patient is relatively inactive, does not engage in sports that put stress on the knees, and is only engaged in moderate exercises and recreational activities.

Surgery

Surgery is a likely treatment alternative given the following circumstances:

More than one ligament or cartilage is injured
The patient is young and active
The patient is an athlete engaged in sports that entails jumping, pivoting, and cutting
The injury makes the knees buckle even when performing daily activities

During an ACL reconstruction, ligaments that are damaged are removed. The damaged ligaments are replaced by a segment of tendon. The procedure is commonly known as grafting.

The surgeon will use the tendon taken from another part of the knee or it will be taken from a deceased donor. The graft will function as a scaffolding, where the new ligament tissues will grow.

Rehabilitative surgery will often start after surgery. Successful reconstruction of the ACL is often followed by rigorous rehabilitation.

This is done to ensure the knee’s function and stability are restored.

Oftentimes, athletes with ACL injuries can already engage in their sports after eight to twelve months.

ACL injuries should not be taken for granted. If you suspect an ACL injury, get expert help from the specialists at www.bjios.sg right away.

February 1, 2017 0 comments

The ACL or the anterior cruciate ligament are the tough tissue bands that connect the thigh bone to the shin bone

Body injury surgery

ACL Injuries: Minimally Invasive Surgery

by allurewellness January 31, 2017

written by allurewellness

The ACL or the anterior cruciate ligament are the tough tissue bands that connect the thigh bone to the shin bone.

The anterior cruciate ligament runs through the knee diagonally and works by giving the joint in the knee the much needed stability.

It also helps control the back-and-forth movement of the lower leg.

Oftentimes, knee injuries occur when playing physically demanding sports like skiing, squash, football, and tennis.

Up to 40 percent of known sports injuries can be traced to ACL injuries.

In cases where damage is extensive, minimally invasive surgery might be recommended.

Tears in the ACL often happen when the lower leg and the knee are twisted or when the lower leg is extended too much.

Other likely causes of ACL injuries include:

Incorrect landings (from jumps)
Collisions (from football tackles)
Drastic stops
Sudden changes in direction

When the ACL is torn, there is a tendency for the knee to become highly unstable.

Losing its full motion range is also possible.

When is surgery needed?

For ACL tears that are minor, conservative and noninvasive treatment options will most often suffice

For ACL tears that are minor, conservative and noninvasive treatment options will most often suffice.

However, if there are multiple tears, immediate surgical intervention is the most likely option to help ensure the knee is stabilized.

Surgery is also often carried out before too much inflammation can occur and cause permanent damage to the joint.

Stitching alone will not be enough to repair ACL tears.

Tissue graft (from the patient or a cadaver) will be required to provide support and facilitate ligament growth.

Fortunately, it is a lot easier for orthopedic surgeons nowadays to gauge the severity of the injury.

When immediate repairs are deemed necessary, a minimally invasive surgery called arthroscopy is performed.

The procedure is carried out under general anesthesia.

The surgeon will also need to make several tiny incisions in the knee.

In order to clean the joint, fluid will be injected.

A fiber optic camera will then be inserted so it can provide detailed images on the television monitor.

The detailed images will help the orthopedic surgeon clearly see the joint parts and determine the steps necessary for the repair.

Years prior, surgeries of the knee are often classified as open surgery and will often entail at least a week-long stay in the hospital.

Several months will also be required for full recovery to take place.

Fortunately, patients can perform day-to-day routines more quickly with procedures that are minimally invasive.

Knee arthroscopy is also carried out to:

Trim the pieces of the broken cartilage
Remove or repair the cartilage that works as cushion in the meniscus (the space situated between the knee bones)
Repair the bone fractures found in the knee
Repair the lining of the knee or the synovium
Remove the fluid-filled sac that can manifest in the back of the knee (Baker’s cyst)

Preparations

Before the surgery, the following will most likely be suggested:

Discussing bleeding disorders or other medical conditions with the surgeon.
Taking a blood sample just in case a transfusion of blood will be necessary.
Letting the doctor know if you have colds, fever, herpes breakout, flu or other conditions that might cause rescheduling of the surgery.
Taking ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), Iopidogrel (Plavix), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and other blood thinners should be stopped.

On the day of the procedure, the following will most likely be recommended:

Eating and drinking after midnight should be avoided especially if general anesthesia will be administered.
Should be in the hospital on the time scheduled.
Taking medications provided with only a small water sip.

After the surgery, patients can expect the following:

They will be asked to go home after only a few hours.
They will have to use crutches when necessary.
Since the procedure is minimally invasive, recovery will be faster. However, in some instances, the complexity of the repair and the severity of the condition may affect the length of the recovery.

If you are a candidate for minimally invasive surgery for an ACL injury, get expert help from the able specialists at www.bjios.sg now.

January 31, 2017 0 comments

an ACL injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament or the ACL (one of the major ligaments in the knee) is torn

Body injury

ACL Injury: Is Surgery Necessary?

by allurewellness January 31, 2017

written by allurewellness

In essence, an ACL injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament or the ACL (one of the major ligaments in the knee) is torn.

ACL injuries often result from sports that involve drastic directions and sudden stops like football, basketball, downhill skiing, volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics.

Treatment options can range from rehabilitation and rest to surgery, depending on the severity of the ACL injury.

The following are some of the primary goals of ACL surgery:

Keep function loss to a minimum
Restoring normal (or at the very least close to normal) knee stability
Prevent injury and degeneration of other structures of the knee

Although surgery will not be necessary for all ACL tears, the patient and doctor will decide if rehabilitation and surgery will be best or rehabilitation alone would suffice.

Surgery is often the recommended option in the following scenarios:

The ACL has been completely or partially torn, making the knee unstable.
The patient wants to again participate in sports that will require knee strength and stability.
The patient would be willing to commit to a long and rigorous rehab program.
The patient has already gone through a rehabilitation program yet the knee is still unstable.
The patient has a chronic ACL deficiency and the condition already affects the patient’s quality of life.
Other knee parts (i.e. cartilage, tendons, meniscus) has also been injured.

Oftentimes, surgery is not required in the following cases:

The tear is minor and responds well to rest and rehab.
The patient is not involved in any job or sports that will require a knee that is stable.
The patient can commit to a complete rehabilitation program that can help stabilize the knee and strengthen the leg muscles.
The patient is suffering from other conditions that will make the ACL surgery risky.

While ACL surgeries are generally safe, there are still certain complications that can result from surgery and rehab

While ACL surgeries are generally safe, there are still certain complications that can result from surgery and rehab such as:

Damage to the nerves, structures, and blood vessels in and around the knee
Blood clots in the legs
Infection in the incisions
Kneecap grating
Stretching, loosening, and re-injury of the scar tissue
Pain

ACL surgery can mean reconstructing or repairing the ACL.

ACL reconstruction surgery involves replacing the ligament using a graft.

Autograft is the most common.

In essence, it means making use of the patient’s own body parts like the patellar tendon or the hamstring.

Aliograft is another option, with the tissue taken from a deceased donor.

ACL repair surgery is performed when an avulsion fracture occurs.

This kind of fracture happens when a piece of the ligament and bone has been separated from the rest of the bone.

The procedure involves reattaching the bone fragment to the bone.

ACL injuries are performed by orthopedic surgeons.

In most cases, it is done by inserting surgical instruments through small incisions in the knee.

The method is called arthroscopic surgery.

In other instances, the procedure is carried out through large knee incisions.

The procedure is known as open surgery.

Many orthopedic surgeons prefer arthroscopic surgery over open surgery due to the following reasons:

It has lesser risks
Working and seeing the knee structures is a way easier
The incisions are smaller
It can be performed at the same time as a diagnostic arthroscopy

Arthroscopic surgery is performed under regional or general anesthesia.

It is also an outpatient procedure so patient will not be required to spend time in the hospital.

While swelling and numbness of the affected area will likely manifest after the surgery, it will eventually disappear after a few days.

If you are a candidate for ACL surgery, please visit www.bjios.sg for expert help.

January 31, 2017 0 comments