You’ve Had A Knee Replacement, Now What?
Are you planning on having a knee replacement? Or maybe you’ve just recently had one? Knee replacements are one of the most common types of replacement surgeries. It is estimated that over 850,000 knee replacements are performed each year. As a physical therapist, one thing that I have seen with a majority of my patients navigating post-knee replacement is that they weren’t exactly sure what the recovery process would be like for them post-surgery. In this blog, we’ll dive deeper into the recovery process from start to finish and how to set yourself up for success.
Healing and Recovery Timeline Following ACL Surgery
Healing time and recovery following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery may be based on multiple factors, which can encompass everything from prior fitness level to activity goals, surgical procedure, and post-operative protocol guidelines. However, there are a few general guidelines common to many patients, and the timeline below offers a reference for post-surgical expectations following an ACL injury.
Why Does My Leg Hurt?
A pain in the leg can be a real problem, especially for endurance athletes looking to train for their next race. Identifying the cause of the pain is a good first step in learning how to heal the injury and prevent it from recurring. Read below to learn about three common leg injuries, including symptoms, causes and treatment options:
Knee Injury Prevention For Gymnasts
Gymnastics is a fun and popular sport for young children and adolescents. As athletes progress in competition, the level and difficulty of skills increases as well as the risk for injury.
The Risk of ACL Injuries in Baseball
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are typically associated with sports like soccer or football, however these injuries can occur in any sport – including baseball.
ACL Injury Prevention in Female Athletes
If you have played sports for any length of time, you more than likely know of someone who has had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, or have experienced one yourself. Statistically, females have a 4-6 times greater likelihood of an ACL injury than males participating in the same sport.1 These injuries can significantly contribute to the overall cost of healthcare in the US, with data showing that ACL injury costs are approaching $1 billion to $3 billion a year in treatment and management.2
Injury Prevention Program: OPRF
I’ve written before about injury prevention for ankle sprains and knee injuries and I want to show just how effective a basic injury prevention program can be. This past year, Oak Park River Forest (OPRF) High School’s soccer program implemented an ACL injury reduction program known as the FIFA 11+. The FIFA 11+ is a warm-up program that focuses on correcting the most common faulty movement patterns seen in adolescent female athletes. Those faulty movement patterns – knees collapsing inwards, relying too much on your quads, ankle instability, etc – can lead to all of your common soccer injuries like ankle sprains, shin splints, stress fractures, and knee injuries.
