“How soon do you see a physical therapist after tearing your ACL?”
My 17 year old son tore his ACL last night and is resting now. How soon do you see a physical therapist after tearing your ACL?
9 Answers
PhysicalTherapistSportsMedicineDoctor
The sooner physical therapy starts after an injury the better.
Right away. If surgery has been performed follow the direction of the surgeon
If you didn’t have surgery, you can see them right away. Surgery has their own protocol.
ACL tears, if confirmed, need orthopedic evaluation. You don’t go to physical therapy directly. The extent of the tear has varying degrees with different treatment approaches.
Depends on how sore and unstable his knee is. Only real concern is the quadriceps (front thigh) muscle losing strength. It is a squirrelly muscle which atrophies quickly and is tough to get back. So, if able, make the quadriceps kick in with straight leg raises, contractions, etc. Usually okay to bear weight as tolerated. Most states require a prescription to see a PT, so some delay there. At 17, any access to a high school trainer who can begin some things.
First, you should see a sports physician, either a physical medicine & rehab (Physiatrist) doctor, an orthopedic sports physician or other doctor specializing in knee injuries, to assess how severe it is. Some should be surgically repaired first before therapy. Then, your doctor and your physical therapist can partner together to guide your son back to function quickly, most do not need surgery.
Did he see a doctor? This needs a thorough evaluation to determine the degree of injury
May start PT pre rehab for AcL tear right away to reduce pain, swelling, and improve range of motion in anticipation to an ACL reconstruction surgery.
I would recommend he sees a PT tomorrow or Monday, i.e., within 5 days of injury. The goals are to regain motion (both flexion and extension), maintain quadriceps muscle strength and reduce swelling. Make an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon for clinical evaluation as soon as possible.
Danyal H. Nawabi, MD
Danyal H. Nawabi, MD
