You are running, riding, or jumping along and all of sudden you feel and may even hear a "pop" come from your knee. Your initial thoughts are confusion and concern. What was that? You soon realize that bearing weight is either impossible or extremely uncomfortable due to a very unstable feeling within the knee. You may have just experienced a torn or partially torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).

Initially you may not even know what you have done. You may not realize what to do. Your ACL is the ligament that runs vertically behind your patella, or "knee bone." It helps stabilize your lower and upper leg with your knee. Is it necessary to have an ACL? Maybe, maybe not, it just depends on the individual, the stability in the knee after the injury and what activities you are involved in.

A torn ACL can be initially treated with physical therapy. This will help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee to allow for increased stabilization. You can go on and live once you have completed therapy with a torn ACL. The ACL will never heal itself in this situation. It will never grow back. But you can walk, you can run and you can live a fairly normal life. ACL rehabilitation is often the solution for younger (still growing) children, mildly to moderately active adults and those not suffering from knee instability.

However, if you live a fairly active life a torn ACL may not be something you are willing or able to live with. With a torn ACL you may be at risk for instability in the knee. There is no guarantee that at some point the knee won't "give out." If you are experiencing knee instability, actively participate in sports that require a "cutting" motion (such as basketball, skiing, etc.) or work in a physically demanding profession, an ACL reconstruction may be necessary. Without repairing the ACL you also have a higher chance of further damage to other parts of the knee due to the instability. This could require further surgical repair. Of course, an ACL reconstruction is a serious surgical procedure and can come with risks and complications that you should discuss with a surgeon prior to making any decision.

If you decide that surgical repair is best for you, you may begin this process by participating in physical therapy. This is usually up to the discretion of your doctor or surgeon. This process can help strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee. This can speed up the recovery process after surgery. Once your surgery has been completed, depending on your surgeon, physical therapy will generally begin around three weeks post surgery.

At Pinnacle Physical Therapy, we have a full staff of experts in the treatment of ACL rehabilitation either without surgery, or pre and post surgery. If you have experienced a torn ACL and need therapy, come to us. Come to the experts and let us help you. We have two convenient locations - Post Falls (208) 777-4242 or Coeur d'Alene (208) 665-2000.