10 Tips for Preventing an ACL Knee Ligament Injury

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the strongest bands of tissue that helps to connect our thigh bone (femur) with our shinbone (tibia). ACL injuries mainly happen to sportspersons, sports which involve sudden and unexpected stops or changes in direction, jumping and landing have high risk of causing ACL injury. For example hockey, basketball, football, downhill skiing etc.
It has been observed and noticed that mostly a pop sound is felt or a 'popping' sensation is felt in the knee when an ACL injury is caused. Your knee may have swelling, you may feel unstable, you may have severe pain in your knee and it will be very difficult for you to stand without support as your knee won't be able to bear your body weight.
Depending on the amount of damage taken by your ACL, treatment may consist of rest and rehabilitation exercises, in some severe cases surgery is required which helps in regaining the strength and stability. A well designed training program may help to prevent an ACL injury.

Here are some tips for preventing ACL injury:

• Strength training: 

The joint in the knee is made up of three bones- femur, tibia and patella with four ligaments between them, holding them together. The ACL is diagonally placed in the middle of the knee and is liable for the rotational flexibility and motion of the knee.
People with weak knee bones, ligament and muscle have a high risk of having an ACL injury. To avoid ACL injury, one should do strength training by targeting the knee area. It would help in enhancing the flexibility, thus can help in preventing an ACL injury. The strengthening training must consist of intense jumping plyometrics and other exercises which will help in strengthening of quadriceps and hamstring muscles.

• Warm-up: 

It is very important to have warm-up sessions before starting with any high-intensity activity. Therefore, an essential ACL damage prevention tip is to do warm-ups without fail before any and every high-intensity activity. Without warmup, the muscles and ligaments remain cold and stiff, which is why they remain at risk of getting injured. The warm-up would help to loosen the muscles and will activate them, which helps in prevention or atleast reduction in the extent and intensity of the damage taken on ACL.

• Stretching:

Stretching is the part of both prevention and recovery in case of an ACL injury as it helps in relaxation of muscles and ligaments.During stretching, we should focus on the front and rear muscles of the thighs and  stretch the ankle muscles too. It helps in prevention of ACL tear which may occur because of misguided ankle that leads to twisting of ankles and leg, thereby injuring it. Having stretching sessions pre as well as post heavy body activities is a healthy practice to opt for.

• Balance: 

Mostly ACL injuries take place due to abrupt change in direction, stopping or slowing down, inappropriate landing or crashing down. Performing a balanced strengthening training for small muscles of the feet, legs, and knees can help in avoiding ACL damage. It will also help you attain greater resilience and reaction time.

• Good quality footwear and technique:

If you are using a pair of shoes which does not fit your size requirement, it can lead to imbalance and then will highly increase your chance of tripping over, ankle twists might occur and any kind of abrupt shock to your legs which can pass on to the knee joint and can become a cause for an ACL injury. Thus, always before heading out, make sure to use the footwear which properly fits you.
Besides, using the proper athletic technique is equally important for preventing ACL tears. The correct technique can help in avoiding significant highly impactful damage to the body. Therefore, try to consult with a coach or physical trainer thoroughly before trying any new techniques or even while using the old ones. With their expertise and experience in the field, they can ensure that the technique you wish to utilize in your routine is safe enough to perform. Their guidance would also help to improve your posture as well as your technique.

• Avoid Exercising When You Feel Fatigued:

It is difficult to maintain a good physical form when you feel tired or fatigued. We can prevent an ACL injury if we make sure that we are getting enough sleep and we should know when to stop using our muscles intensely. Pushing yourself too much, until you feel exhausted can also cause muscle fatigue - it is the inability of muscles to keep generating further force. Muscle weakness can occur due to multiple reasons, which include obesity, aging, vigorous exercise and many more. So it's important for us to know our body.

• Don’t Forget Your Core:

Strengthening your glutes, the hamstrings, and the quadriceps muscles are essential for minimizing your risk of sustaining an ACL injury. But having strong and stable core muscles is just as important. When we exercise our core, it helps our body to move efficiently and swiftly. It also helps in controlling the motion of the body. The basic plank exercise is an efficient one that helps in strengthening your core, as well as your arms, shoulders, back, glutes, and legs as well, because you hold up your weight with your arms or forearms and also your leg muscles get a little stretch and help in holding up the weight.

• Train regularly and routine wise: 

 If you train your body try to maintain a proper routine and regularity in your training sessions. Having too many fluctuations in your workout duration, time of workout, days of workout etc can become a reason for your body to grow an imbalanced strength or flexibility. This fluctuated form of your body can cause imbalance and inefficiency in producing proper results.

1. Meet With A Sports Medicine Specialist:
   Seeking help with an expert in Sports Medicine and undergoing a proper physical examination of your body can help to target any musculo-skeletal weakness or injuries or vulnerabilities. An orthopedic specialist can check and identify the areas of muscular weakness that may be susceptible to sprains or tears and on the basis of it can provide specific advice for specific activities and exercises that can help you improve these anatomical regions.
   A Sports Medicine specialist can, not only provide proper reports as well as helping measures for vulnerable muscles and connective tissues, but can also determine if your joints are operating well or if any condition is restricting or damaging their function. A healthy range of joint motion is crucial for preventing sports injuries like ACL tears.
   Drink up:

2. For certain reasons, water should be a key part of our game plan. It is difficult to find any part of your body that does not benefit from getting sufficient hydration, and as for your ligaments, they are no different. Also, when you get dehydrated, your soft tissues stiffen up and you begin to lack energy, focus, stability and flexibility - which is the perfect recipe for injury. So, make sure to stay well hydrated to prevent muscle damages like ACL damage.

Conclusion -

We hope that this article was helpful to you. All the measures listed above will surely help you to prevent an ACL injury but if it occurs consult a doctor immediately. Thank you for giving your valuable time.

STAY FIT STAY HEALTHY!