Is your perpetual knee pain holding you back from performing your everyday tasks?
Your knees are under continuous pressure day and night, it’s fairly common to have knee injuries, especially if you are involved in physical activities daily. And if your immobility is having you question whether you have an ACL tear or not, keep reading.
What is ACL?
ACL stands for the anterior cruciate ligament. It is one of the strong bands of tissue that joins your thigh bone, also called the femur, to your shank bone or tibia. The ACL doesn’t have sufficient support from muscle; it lies in the front of the knee and is most likely to get injured. It aids you to keep your knee firm and stable. There are two means by which you can tear your Anterior Cruciate Ligament. The first case is quite common with athletes who play sports that need continual halt and start and switch directions such as basketball, soccer, and tennis. When you instantaneously change direction, route, twitch, and land bluntly, you experience a contusion due to trauma built by pressuring the tendon or ligament. The second case can be observed when someone arrives in immediate contact with another or when the knee can no longer carry their body weight.
What are the symptoms?
You hear a ‘popping’ sound
Many people hear a loud ‘pop’ sound when they tear their ACL, and sometimes the sound cannot be ignored by the bystanders. Usually, there is a shift in the knee joint after the popping sound.
Your knee is unsteady
ACL functions in maintaining the stability and firmness of the knee joint. When the ACL tears, the knee becomes unsteady at full tilt. And if it occurs due to a swivelling movement in the body, the knee may flag and give out.
Your knee bulges out
After an ACL tear, your knee bulges out during the initial 24 hours. The swelling can soar as it is one of the largest joints in the body. The blood vessels burst, congesting the space in the joints with blood. The congestion causes the joint to turn warm and red. You can bring down the swelling by placing ice on your knees and lifting your leg slowly by covering it up with a cushion or pillow.
You have excruciating pain in your knees
If you have minor damage, odds may be good for you not to experience pain. Your knee’s joint line may sting, and the pain can elevate if the injury severity is high. More damage may give more pain that can get unbearable. Some people experience a problem while standing or providing pressure on the compromised leg.
You lose mobility
If your leg can take the pressure and body weight, you may observe that it gets hard to walk normally. It feels like your knee joint has loosened, and it is a strenuous task to shift the lower part of the leg. It happens due to the swelling in the joint that limits the movement at the joint. Many people take the help of walkers, crutches, or stick to walk properly. After the damage, it’s unlikely to bend or flex your knees for a long time.
Many reasons cause a tear in your ACL, and the risk factor is high for females or ones using crudely maintained sports equipment. It is wise to avoid playing on synthetic turf, faulty leg movements and try wearing good quality footwear that fits you properly.
The chain of ORTHOCURE Clinics is India‘s 1st Chain of Specialty Clinics for Orthopaedic Problems. We provide a comprehensive solution for bone, muscles, and nerves where Orthopedists, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Fitness and Foot Orthotics experts work together in tandem focusing on ‘structural correction’ to resolve the problem from its roots. We provide specialized programs for runners, golfers, pregnant women and corporate along with other knee pain treatments
