3139 Anterior Cruciate Ligament Physiotherapy: Early rehabilitation

Hello. You have recently had surgery to repair your anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. Now that you are home and becoming stronger after your operation, it is time to start some new exercises to continue your recovery and improve the strength, movement and function of your knee. Ideally you should see a physiotherapist who will give you guidance about which exercises in this video are appropriate for you at this stage of your recovery. Try to gradually stop using your elbow crutches as soon as you feel safe to do so. Your physiotherapist will help guide you with this. It is crucial for your recovery that you go for a walk every day. Start slowly, and gradually build up your speed and distance. Once you feel that your knee is becoming stronger and you are walking with ease, you can start to use an exercise bike to gently get the knee moving. Start off slowly and comfortably with no resistance. Increase the speed and resistance gradually over a period of time. We recommend that you should do each of the following exercises for 15 repetitions, at least three times a day, or more if you can tolerate it. Stand with your feet hip width apart, with your finger tips on a table or chair in front of you for support if needed. Gently bend your knees, hold for 1 second, and then stand up straight. You should only dip a little way at this stage in your recovery. Make sure you keep your back straight throughout. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Push up into a tip-toe position. Slowly lower your heels back down to the floor. Stand in front of a solid table with a chair behind you. Put one foot in front of the other, heel touching toes, with your legs straight, but not locked. Make sure you keep your back straight and your buttocks squeezed in. Look ahead, and when you feel balanced, lift your hands up from the table. Try to maintain your balance in this position for a few seconds. As you get more confident, hold the pose for longer and try doing it with your eyes closed. Lay on your front on a bed or on the floor. Hook your non-operated leg in front of the operated leg. Bend both knees, using your stronger leg to assist the injured leg. As this gets easier you can start to lift the operated leg on its own. Lay on your side with both knees bent to 90 degrees, with your heels in line with your bottom and back. Keep your feet together and slowly lift your top knee away from your bottom knee, like a clam. Slowly lower your knee back down to the starting position. It is important that you do not let your lower back roll backwards when you do this. Keeping one hand on your upper hip can help to stabilise you. Repeat this exercise on both sides. If you have any problems with any of these exercises, please speak to your physiotherapist.