ACL tears are a common injury among athletes and active people. Overuse can cause them, such as playing soccer or basketball, jumping too high, landing improperly, or running on uneven terrain. Even if you don’t play sports regularly, you may still be at risk for an ACL tear if your knees have been injured in the past or if your joints are weak from other causes, such as osteoarthritis (OA).
If you are prone to ACL injuries or active in sports, there are some things you can do to prevent them and treat them if they happen. These are serious and can lead to long-term problems if not treated correctly. Some ACL injuries can lead to arthritis if not treated correctly.
Many ways to prevent ACL tears involve stretching and strengthening exercises—but these aren’t always easy! So here’s how we recommend stopping ACL tears.
We will have Jedd Johnson again, a strength coach.
If you’ve read the Fixing Elbow Pain program, you’ll surely remember Jedd. We created that article a few months ago. And he will be giving a video on how to prevent ACL injuries this time.
With these tips and tricks, you can easily stay on the field and prevent ACL tears. Just be safe and don’t rush into activities that could cause injuries.
Jedd discussed in this video what an ACL is, what ACL tears are, what causes them, and the two types of ACL tears.
He emphasized that an ACL tear is usually the result of an activity that puts unnatural stress on your knees. ACL tears most often happen during activities requiring quick stops and direction changes, such as cutting, jumping, and landing from a jump. These activities can range from something as simple as cutting across a grassy lawn to jumping up and landing outside your knees’ range of motion. An ACL tear can happen at any age, though they are most common in active teens and young adults in their late 20s – since they have a growing skeleton. And to any of the sporty athletes, as well.
We often associate them with sports. However, they can happen even in non-sports activities.
An ACL tear can happen in any activity, though some are riskier than others. ACL tears usually occur when the knee is bent, and a lot of pressure is placed on the joint. This can happen in any sport — football, soccer, basketball, skating, or other physical activity. If you have a specific physical condition, certain activities may be riskier. In addition, the way you move may increase your risk.
Exercises You Can Do to Strengthen Your Knees
It’s a fact: strengthening your knees is the best way to prevent ACL injuries. You can do many exercises to strengthen your knees and avoid ACL injuries. Exercises like one-legged squats, jump rope, and single-leg jumps help to boost your knees and prevent ACL injuries.
It is essential to prevent ACL injuries. So, get started with Jedd’s systematic, progressive program and avoid ACL Tears.
Jedd Johnson’s Deceleration Program can assist you, your patients, or athletes in avoiding ACL injuries:
CLICK HERE to check it out.
Rick Kaselj, MS
