Injuring your knee and tearing your ACL can impair your ability to stand, walk, and fulfill your daily routines or favorite activities. However, physical therapy treatments can effectively relieve the symptoms of ACL tears. If you are experiencing a knee injury, you should learn about the ACL tear treatments that premier Wyoming physical therapists can provide.

ACL tears are one of the most common injuries incurred by professional athletes and people who engage in physical activities. The best Casper physical therapy services can help identify and treat ACL tears. The ACL, or Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is an essential ligament of tissues that stabilize the knee by connecting the shin bone to the thigh bone. Many causes can facilitate tears in the ACL ligament. You can encounter the injury from twisting your leg in an awkward manner while your foot is firmly planted on the ground, from running fast and then suddenly and abruptly stopping, or from absorbing a hard blow on the leg. Additionally, at the time of the injury you also typically hear a loud and clearly audible popping or snapping sound. Certain symptoms usually accompany the injury, including severe pain, immediate swelling around the knee, and a loss of functioning in the affected leg.

The top Wyoming physical therapists can conduct an evaluation of your knee and determine whether or not you need surgery. The therapy experts can utilize many tests to assess the degree of the injury. The tests often enable the therapist to gently pull, bend, and maneuver your knee to assess the response of your leg. Common tests include the anterior drawer test, the lachman test, the pivot shift test, and the timed hop test. The experts then consider the results of the tests to determine if you need surgery. Many ACL patients can recover with physical therapy treatments and do not require surgery. However, some patients might require surgery if the symptoms are severe or if the injury keeps recurring. Patients that require surgery should still participate in physical therapy programs after the surgery to assist and accelerate the recovery process.   

Many physical therapy treatments can help alleviate the symptoms of ACL tears. Premier Casper physical therapy services can implement a wide variety of ACL exercise treatments.  Strengthening exercises can rebuild the leg muscles so your knee can support the joints in your leg and the weight of your body. Balancing exercises can also help you maintain stability while standing, walking, and running. Flexibility exercises are very beneficial for ACL tears. The flexibility exercises can help expand your range of motion, increase the mobility of your knee, and restore the proper functioning of your leg. 

The body mechanics advice of physical therapy experts can also help treat ACL injuries. The therapists can teach you the correct knee movements and effective leg techniques that you should use to fulfill your favorite activities and to avoid incurring knee injuries in the future. Additionally, physical therapy experts can also treat ACL tears with many technological modalities. Electrical stimulation devices are commonly used for knee injuries and ACL tears. The electrical stimulation process can restore the strength of your quadriceps muscles, stabilize your knee, and allow you to properly straighten and bend your leg.

Contact North Platte Physical Therapy to treat your knee injury. Our expert staff is revered throughout the Wyoming and Nebraska areas for providing superior and customized physical therapy services. We can handle any of your physical therapy needs, we have access to the best treatments on the market, and we would be glad to treat your ACL tear to restore the functioning of your leg and to maximize the performance of your body.