ACL stands for anterior cruciate ligament; it is a soft connective tissue in the knee.
When this ligament gets completely torn by any accident or injury, doctors suggest the patient go through ACL surgery. It is a process of replacing that torn soft connective ligament with a tissue graft that is designed to mimic the functioning of the ACL.
This injury is very common among sports athletes. Life after ACL surgery for athletes or even a common person can be difficult because it takes time to recover from it.
However, it’s now believed that with the help of internal bracing one can be fully recovered in 6 months.
Thus if you or your know ones have gone through Internal Bracing Surgery in Patna and want to speed up the recovery process must follow these tips to recover fast after ACL surgery.
5 ACL Surgery Recovery Tips
After going through ACL surgery, a patient has so many questions in his mind like what to do in the first week after ACL surgery. what not to do after ACL surgery.
So, the first thing you should do is rest and relax, and then after you should focus on your recovery process.
Here are some tips that will be beneficial for post ACL surgery recovery process.
#1. Reduce Swelling
Swelling is a by-product of injury. it’s your body’s inflammatory response to the trauma of your injury. It is a bad sign after ACL surgery because it can be the biggest reason for slowing down the recovery process of the affected area.
Swelling can also make your joints stiff which may reduce your range of motion or may have a negative effect on muscle functioning.
You may be wondering how to reduce swelling and knee stiffness after ACL surgery. So, one can treat it with the help of ice and proper rest.
#2. Try to Achieve Full Straightening
ACL surgery will have a negative effect on the mobility of your knee joint. So, to restore its mobility one needs to achieve full straightening of the knee. It is the single most important part of ACL surgery recovery.
However, achieving this result is going to be painful but, remember a half-bending knee can cause a permanent limp. An extension stretch exercise can be helpful in this.
#3. Manage Kneecap Pain
The damaging kneecap along with the ACL is not so common but still, sometimes it happens, and the pain of it is the most annoying thing about ACL surgery.
However, most of the time this pain is caused by secondary reasons. No matter what the reason behind this pain is, managing it is very important. Doing an ITB massage or ITB stretch can be helpful in managing this pain.
#4. Walk Daily
Walking is the best activity to maintain fitness. This easy exercise can help you fully recover from ACL surgery because it will strengthen the muscles around the knee and will also increase blood flow.
In starting you may need crutches or any support to move but having this support for more than two weeks can result in muscle loss. Try to make this activity more enjoyable so that you can make it a habit.
But remember, not to overdo it and try to walk in moderation because walking too much after ACL surgery is harmful.
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#5. Eat Right and Sleep Tight
It’s a well-known fact that sleep is the most important part of the recovery process. The same goes for ACL recovery. No medicine or exercise is going to help if you are not sleeping properly.
So, how you sleep After ACL Surgery is kind of important because the body goes into a healing mode in sleep. After Sleeping, eating habits are the second most important factor in ACL recovery.
But what food should a patient have in this condition? Let’s find out…
Foods To Promote Healing After ACL Surgery
Having proper nutrition is the key factor in recovery from any injury, trauma, or surgery. The same goes for ACL surgery.
So here are some foods that are going to be beneficial after ACL surgery.
#1. More Fibers
Eating veggies like carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and potatoes on a daily basis will help you to fight post-surgery fatigue.
Carbohydrates present in these foods will give you the needed energy and strength after ACL surgery.
Moreover, the Fibers present in these foods will improve your gut health which is needed because medication and decreased mobility can cause constipation.
#2. Nuts, Oil, and Fish
All these foods have healthy fats. It helps you to observe all the vitamins that you are getting from fruits and veggies. So, it’s important to make healthy fats your best friend, especially after surgery.
Moreover, it is extremely beneficial for the immune system which as a result will help you to prevent infection.
#3. Eggs
Eggs are a perfect example of nutritionally packed food. This easy-to-make food is ideal for healing. It contains proteins, vitamins, calcium, zinc, and iron.
All the ingredients are beneficial for recovering after ACL surgery. The best part about this food is it’s easy to get and can be ready to eat in less than 10 mins.
#4. Meat
Meat is the best source of protein and protein is the most important thing to build and strengthen muscle.
That’s why it’s important to eat plenty of protein-rich food after ACL surgery because the muscles around the knees need to strengthen to get you back on your feet properly.
Additionally, the amino acid in the protein can also speed up the recovery process of wounds.
So, these were some important tips and foods that can be beneficial in the recovery process after ACL surgery.
If these tips don’t work go for further consultation from Dr. Ramakant Kumar Best ACL Reconstruction Surgeon in Patna. He will help you with your post-ACL surgery recovery.
Conclusion
Torn ACL is pretty common among Athletes especially those who are active in sports. This medical condition is treated with help from ACL surgery. In this process, the surgeon replaces the torn ligament with a tissue graft.
Though it takes approximately 6 months to recover fully however if you stay consistent with the above-given tips the results will be faster.
Other than that you just need to have patience and follow the suggestions as provided by the doctor.