24 June 2018
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

You feel a tear, you hear a pop, and you feel an immense amount of pain. If you are an athlete, tearing your ACL can feel like a death sentence. However, as a very common knee injury, ACL surgery is more common than you may think. With the help of an orthopedic surgeon, you can get your surgery done quickly and start down your road toward recovery to get you back into the game before you know it. As one of the most important parts of any orthopedic surgery, recovery is essential. This article will list a few ways to ensure that you have a safe and speedy recovery after your ACL surgery. 

Ice

When your orthopedic surgeon sends you home from surgery, your knee will more than likely be wrapped in more ice than you know what to do with. And although that ice may make it impossible to walk with, it's essential for your recovery. By icing your knee every hour or so during recovery, you can combat swelling and alleviate pain, which will both speed up your recovery process. As a helpful tip, if you're sick of wearing ice bags, try sitting in an ice bath. 

Physical Therapy

One of the most crucial parts of ACL recovery, and one tip that your orthopaedic surgeon won't be able to stress more is physical therapy. During your physical therapy sessions, you will learn to strengthen your knee and the surrounding muscles to help you play your sport again. Additionally, you will also learn exercises that you can use at home every day to help strengthen and stretch your knee even more. Remember to take every physical therapy session as seriously as possible. 

NSAIDs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are basically your best friend when you are in recovery. These non-habit forming, over-the-counter pills are great at helping cut down on inflammation and help ease the pain. Just make sure that you consult with your orthopaedic surgeon regarding how many NSAIDs you can take every day to ensure that you aren't going overboard. 

Tearing your ACL may feel devastating at first, but by following the three tips listed above, you can hopefully have a safe, speedy recovery and get back to the sport that you love. To learn more about recovery tips or ACL surgery in general, schedule a consultation with a local orthopaedic surgeon today and make sure to ask plenty of questions.