MRI films indicate I have a torn ACL, sustained last week while playing soccer. Any advice or words of wisdom from people who have gone through this? I need all the help I can get. I am an athletic 23 year-old female, if that makes a difference in terms of healing or what to expect in terms of rehab/recovery...
I'm in rehab from an ACL tear, about 9 weeks out from the injury. Mine was just a partial tear, so I've been trying the rehab route before looking at surgery- everything is going alright so far. My dad had the ACL surgery not too long ago, the patella tendon resection and graft. He was laid pretty low for a week, but he started rehab after about a month and was back on his feet inside 3 months, running a little at 5, and by the time 9 months rolled around, he was absolutely 100%. And he was almost 50! The grafts they make, once they heal, are actually stronger than your original ACL, so if you have to have the surgery, at least there is that. Rehab is what it is, but it is all worth it once you get back on your feet. ACL tear is a pretty common injury, and the treatment is highly successful, so as long as you do everything you're supposed to, there is every reason to expect that you'll be 100% easily within the 7-9 months that most doctors I have heard give. Best of luck!
I tore my ACL and Meniscus in 2005. There is going to be a lot of work and a lot of pain before you get back to where you want to be. In terms of running, after physical therapy when you begin to run again, it's all about the mental aspect. It was REALLY hard to cope with the fact that I can only run for about 5 minutes the pace that I'd usually go out for 45 minutes. Really focus on your form when you run, too, because your body is going to want to compensate for the weakened side of your body.
I can't say enough about how helpful body weight exercises (especially single-leg squats and squat jumps) are once you've completed physical therapy and are working out on your own.
I blew mine out 16 months ago skiing.
6 months after surgery I ran a half marathon.
My best advice, find a really good PT. There is a natural progression in the healing process that they do understand. I was really agressive in terms of my workouts, but I never tried to go beyond what he recommended. I would do the bike one day and the next some bike and then weight and drills. You will plateau, then time to move onto the next stage.
I am 50, good luck.