How do I cope up from an ACL injury?

[Debbielly]

I’ve been playing volleyball for five years now. I started to love this sport after seeing my home country play in a foreign tournament, but I do hope I can still feel that urge to play after that incident I had a month ago. While we were having our training at school, I hit the ground really hard after attempting a kill block. The doctor diagnosed that I have an anterior cruciate ligament, otherwise known as an ACL injury. It was excruciating and I cried for weeks, knowing that I may not play ever again. Nonetheless, my heart is still fighting and I still want to compete and win the championship match with my team. Tell me, how do I cope with an ACL injury? How can I cope with it in a healthy manner?

[Garcon1986]

Follow your doctor's advice, whatever you do, do not damage it further! That will be the worst pain you have ever felt. Ask your doctor which exercises are safe in the context of a partial ACL tear.

[Lotsgoingon]

Athletes return all the time from ACL injuries, even pro-athletes (though not all of course).

 

I know multiple young women athletes who tore their ACL's .. The recovery and surgery are a pain ... It's a lengthy recovery. You do rehab in preparation for surgery, then you have the surgery and you rehab again.

 

You can definitely return to high-level sports. Did someone tell you otherwise?

[preraph]

Work your butt off in physical therapy and do as told by the PT , which is usually going to be seeing him/her a couple times a week plus you doing two sets of exercises at home diligently, and those exercises may need to keep going for years depending on how stable your injury becomes. If you need surgery, get it, and if you get it, stay off your feet and do the PT and don't say, I have to do this, I can't not do this, or you will not heal. You can't hurry these things.

[JuneL]

I think another poster GreenCove mentioned that she has had ACL knee surgery before in a recent thread.

 

My best friend had ankle sugery a few years ago. She found quite a few blogs of individuals online documenting their injury and recovery. I am sure there are similar blogs for ACL injuries and surgeries.

[thefooloftheyear]

Couple of things...

 

First ...Understand that injuries are part of any athletes lifestyle...Show me someone who says they've never been injured and ill show you someone that never gave maximum effort...It will happen...Some are minor and some severe, but it's part of the game..

 

Second.. Try not to scour the net and ask all kinds of people for answers....There are no "true" answers here because no two people are the same....No two people will have an identical experience., so it will make you kind of crazy...You are you...If someone tells you it took them a year to recover that doesn't mean shyt to you, really...Who knows what they did or didn't do?? Who knows if their dr botched up the surgery and never said anything...Anything is possible...Ask around, but don't take anything at face value...You cant...

 

I know the mental part of it is tough.. At least it was for me...Imagine being able to BP 405# for 6 reps and the next day, unable to support an unloaded 45 lb bar.. That's where I was when I tore my rotator...And I have had other injuries along the way....Many..

 

Here is how I handle it....and its a very effective method, if you put your mind to it....Whatever you decide to do with your injury, realize it won't completely incapacitate you ...There are going to be other exercises and movements that will be unaffected by your injury...Take this time to refocus your efforts in those areas...In my case, I decided to up my leg game...Even though my shoulder was busted out, I could still squat and do any other leg movements without affecting the shoulder...So I went at it full bore in those areas...It took my mind off the injury...It allowed me to make progress, when initially I thought I was doomed to sitting on the couch ...And as the shoulder healed,. I brought that back around...When the process was complete and I felt I had regained full strength and range of motion in the joint, I was way ahead of the game by going after the things I could do with more enthusiasm...Truth is, unless the injury came I probably would not have taken the time to refocus....It also helped my mental state immensely..

 

All Ill say about Drs is get more than one opinion, and if you are an athlete or training is a big part of your life, then you really should select an ortho with a sports medicine background...They are better able to deal with a person that has that mindset and even have differing surgical/rehab options than the typical dr that just works on the average Joe/Mary...Its a different deal...For them, it only has to work, it doesn't have to perform...Its a big difference...

 

Lastly, I have been doing a lot of research with stem cell injections for injuries...I believe in it, but not 100% sold on it yet...Its controversial, and the medical industry has a lot to lose if this becomes a viable option, so you don't hear too much about it...But its worth a look and I plan to try it...

 

TFY

[Zapbasket]

Hey. I've torn and surgically repaired my ACL twice--once on each knee.

 

After my first time I returned to high-level sport: 100+ days per season skiing bumps, double-black diamonds, trees, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering as well as mountain climbing.

 

My second time was much "easier" because I knew what to expect.

 

I won't lie: it's not easy. The ACL is the principal stabilizing ligament in the knee--and the only way to repair it is to have surgery; the ACL does not repair itself, even if it's a partial tear.

 

No matter how strong you are, if you want to return to high-level sport, you need surgery or you risk permanently damaging your meniscus.

 

The key is to find a good physical therapist who is highly experienced in work with ACL patients. Also to find an orthopedic center that does a lot of ACL reconstructions. Be sure to get yourself under the proper medical care. Then research your options. On my first injury I elected to harvest a hamstring tendon to be inserted into my knee joint to become my new ACL (the process by which a tendon becomes a ligament, called ligamentization, takes about a year--hence why you have to take care during that time not to put too much strain on the graft by returning to sport too soon); on my second, I decided to go with a patellar tendon from a donor. I made this decision after much discussion with my surgeon and much internet research.

 

And then it's a game of patience. You just have to give your joint time to heal. You won't feel like doing your usual activities, anyway, after surgery. I love trail running, for example, and even five months out I don't enjoy it because I just don't have my gait consistency back enough for it to feel like it usually does. Focus on doing the exercises your PT gives you, and don't worry about exercises someone else with an ACL reconstruction might be doing. Just focus on yourself, listen to your PT and orthopedic surgeon and most importantly, listen to your body. Do NOT listen to the yahoos who egg you on to do activities you're not ready for yet. They need to shut up and you need to filter all advice out except for that of the experts--your PT and your surgeon.

 

This includes not listening to any one of us on LoveShack or any other thread, except if you want to go online to commiserate or get a pep talk (and you'll need those along the way). I'm telling you only what I know from my own two-time experience and in no way does that make me an expert about ACLs and certainly not about your situation.

 

But I wanted to reassure you that you can and WILL return to your sport, perhaps even stronger than you were before. No sh*t! Sometimes big injuries like these drive you to become better than you could have imagined. So hang tough and get yourself to the pros to get this thing fixed.