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Knee Ligament Sprain
There are four major ligaments in the knee that connect the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shin bone). They include the following:
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)
- Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL)
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL)
These ligaments give stability to the knee and help control forward, backward and rotational movements of the knee.
Physical therapy treatment includes:
- Manual therapy and exercises to improve knee range of motion
- Continuous passive motion in the immediate postoperative period to decrease pain after ACL reconstruction
- Exercises to increase knee strength and hip muscles
- Neuromuscular re-education to improve your knee control/coordination and neighboring joints (such as the hip)
- Progressive weight bearing exercises
- Graded return to activity (such as running)
- Dry needling to decrease muscle tension
- Modalities to reduce pain
- Treatments to decrease swelling
For patients who are athletes or participate in recreational fitness, sport-specific training will assure your safe return to the desired activity.
References:
- Logerstedt, David S. et al. “Knee Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Knee Ligament Sprain Revision 2017.” Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, Vol. 47, No. 11, 2017, pp. A1-A47. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT), https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2017.0303.
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