ACL Injury: What You Need to Know?

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Although knee injury is pretty common in people with moderate to heavy exercise, ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury is relatively less common. Nonetheless, the incidence of ACL injury is increasing for some time. What we will learn in this article is the functional stability of the knee and how ACL injury disrupts that, Causes of an ACL injury, types of an ACL injury, treatment options available, what Homeopathy offers.

Functional Stability of Knee and Dynamics of an ACL injury

The knee joint, as is the case with any other important joint of the body, is a stable joint.  Anterior cruciate ligament, along with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial cruciate ligament (MCL), as also Lateral collateral ligament, medial meniscus, and lateral meniscus, together effectively provide the knee joint its extreme stability. ACL, out of all these entities, plays the pivotal role and ensures that the overextension of the knee doesn’t happen. The ACL injury deteriorates this stability of the knee. The injured person is not able to control the extension of the knee. A sensation as if “the knee will give away”, is present. It is felt more so on performing any moderate to hard physical activity involving the knee.

Causes of ACL injury

If some object hits you at the side of the knee, then the chances of an ACL injury increases.  In a football tackle, or after suffering a car accident, ACL injury is more likely.

  • landing flat-footed from a jump
  • overextending your knee joint
  • changing direction fast ( known as pivoting)
  • changing speed while running

These above-mentioned activities are such that even if there is no visible physical impact on the knee, chances of an ACL injury increases.

Therefore, athletes are more vulnerable to ACL injury. We find that the incidence in females is more than in males.

Types of an ACL injury

ACL pull

It is the simple form of injury. There is no tear. So, this doesn’t compromise the stability, yet. Nonetheless, a continuous strain on the knee may induce further damage. The symptoms are indeed acute. But, conservative line of treatment along with some physiotherapy is effective.

ACL tear

  • ACL partial tear: The degree of injury is a step ahead of an ACL pull. The tear induces some instability in the knee joint function. The partial tear renders the knee more vulnerable to further damage if any regular physical exercise is not curtailed with immediate effect.
  • ACL complete tear: There is a pop sound accompanying the complete ACL tear. Here the knee gives away. The limiting force of the ligament being absent, the knee is overextended without any stability in place. Any movement of the knee is accompanied with a varying amount of pain. This pain is usually directly proportional to the severity of the movements attempted.

ACL tear along with other ligament or meniscal injury

This invariably complicates the matters. There is swelling of the knee joint due to the meniscal injury. Other ligaments supporting the knee e.g. PCL, MCL, or LCL, if injured along with ACL then the symptoms are more profound. Usually, there are numerous sensations along with the pain. The recovery period often gets extended.

Treatment options for an ACL injury

Conservative line of treatment helps improve an ACL pull.

Doctors advise Reconstructive Surgery. However, many cases of ACL partial tear doesn’t need surgery. Scroll down further to know how.

In case of a complete tear of ACL, the patient needs an urgent attention. Effectively, most of the cases do require surgery. However, it has been noted that some cases in which a reconstructive surgery was performed, pain recurs.

What Homeopathy Offers

Homeopathy is indeed most effective in the cases of an ACL pull. In a majority of the cases of a partial tear, Homeopathy has given relief to the patients. Thus, the need for a Surgery is negated in many of these cases. While complete tear of an ACL does require a Reconstructive Surgery, in some cases though diligent homeopathic care has given really encouraging results.

 


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