Exercises for 1st three Weeks of ACL surgery 

Goal for first three weeks

Decrease pain and swelling of knee joint

To achieve full extension of knee

To do ADL (activities of daily living) without discomfort

  1. Limb Elevation, Pillow under Heel not under the knee

2. hip abductor with or without the brace

3. Knee Bending – Heel Slide and in prone position

In Prone Position

4. Partial Weight-bearing with Walker with knee full extent

5. Calf Stretching with Towel

6. Hamstring stretching exercise

Want to see exercise Vedio for 1st 3weeks exercise CLICK HERE

 

Exercises for 3rd to 6th week

Goal

To achieve knee pain less

To achieve no effusion or swelling

To achieve full range of motion of knee

To do day to day activities without difficulty

All above plus

1. Knee Bending

Active Assisted Knee Flexion

 

 

2. Hip adductor in supine or sitting position

 

3. Heal raise

4. Hamstring curl

 

Exercise for 6th to 12th week

Now your knee should be about to painless in range of motion exercise and also in weight bearing. Now you should be able to do all day to day activities and you are able to extend your knee full without any extension lag.

Now you are ready to enter in to 2nd phase of rehabilitation of ACL surgery.it is recommended that if possible you should do supervised physiotherapy at this phase so you will be able to to enter in to last phase of exercise with ease

Do all previous exercise first then start session as

 

1. Straight leg raising in all plane

2. Wall slide with tibia vertical

3. Hamstring curl with increasing weight at foot

4. Quadriceps strengthening without weight

5. Double leg press with increasing weight

6. Single leg press with increasing weight

7. Treadmill starting from 4km per hour to 6km per hour at 12 weeks

8.   Stationary bike

Exercise after 12th weeks

Now you will enter in to strengthening of your all muscles and improve kinematic of your knee so you can achieve your previous level of activities.

All 2nd phase exercise then start session with

1. Quadriceps strengthening with increasing weight till maximum weight

2. Hamstring curl with maximum weight

3. Trademill with increasing speed

4. Zigzag walking in ground

5.double and single leg press with maximum weight

6. Skipping

7. From jogging to running

8. Strengthening exercise of all hip joint muscles

After this phase you are now ready to go back to your previous activity level and to your sports. Training for various sports will resume at this periods and then you can return to your sports

Things to remember during ACL physiotherapy

  1. Do as your surgeon advise
  2. Avoid squatting and cross leg sitting for 12 weeks
  3. Always warm up your body before start your game

This physiotherapy protocol is called as accelerated  physiotherapy protocol and it  is specific for patients operated by dr. anil sharma so please talk to your doctor before do exercise according to this protocol.