ACL tear treatment without surgery found in Rockford, MI

You’re jogging along your favorite trail in Rockford, Michigan. You plant your foot to make a sharp turn on the trail and bam! A sharp pain in your knee signals that you’ve torn your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). If the tear is bad enough, the knee can begin to swell and stiffen even before you’re able to limp back to your car. ACL tear treatment without surgery is available in Rockford if you or someone you know has recently experienced a situation like this. This type of treatment includes two main components. 

1.   Rest

The first major component of a non-surgical ACL tear treatment program is rest. It’s important because it allows your knee to begin healing naturally. When your body is at rest, it’s able to divert more resources to the injured ACL. This means that the injured ligament will get more oxygen and nutrients than it would if you were moving around, and increased resources provide greater support for the body’s natural healing processes. 

2.   Physical therapy

Once your knee has had an opportunity to rest and start healing, physical therapy should be included in you non-surgical ACL tear treatment. There are several therapy techniques that are typically used to treat this type of knee injury. One excellent example of a commonly used technique is manual therapy.

Manual therapy

When your ACL begins to heal, scar tissue can develop in and around this ligament. Also called adhesions, the scar tissue can make it hard to move the knee joint. Adhesions can also make it more difficult for leg muscles to support and stabilize the knee, but manual therapy can be used to deal with all these issues. This technique involves research-supported movements, and these movements are often performed by the hands of your therapist. The movements are intended to break up scar tissue in the knee joint and around the knee-supporting muscles. 

Cupping

Cupping is another technique that can be used to treat ACL tears without surgery. This method uses specially designed cups, and these cups are sealed to the skin using a vacuum pump. The vacuum created inside the cup is intended to help lift the skin around your knee. This lifting effect helps create more space for blood to flow to the knee, and increased blood flow can lead to faster injury healing. 

Get started with a non-surgical ACL tear treatment plan at Advent Physical Therapy in Rockford

At Advent Physical Therapy in Rockford, our treatment plans for ACL tears can help you avoid costly and risky knee surgery. Your plan will be designed using multiple therapy techniques, and the fact that the plan is personalized to you increases the benefits it can provide. Some benefits patients may get from their treatment plan include: 

• Reduced pain
• Improved joint mobility
• Increased joint stability
• Faster healing

Don’t be fooled into thinking that surgery is the only treatment option for an ACL tear. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.