When you hurt your ACL it’s very important to get your motion back immediately. Without your motion we can’t get you back your strength. Often times, you’ll go to the ER and they’ll put you in a knee immobilizer and tell you to go see someone.
Take that immobilizer off, and get that quad to fire with full-extension and get your motion back.
The group of exercises on this page will help you with that.
After an ACL injury, we need to get the injured knee straight. Without getting it straight, you can’t fire the muscle. This should be the top priority.
This should be your first exercise: the prone hang.
Lay down on a bed or table with your kneecaps off the edge. You may notice the heel on your injured leg is above the heel on the healthy leg. This is what you are working to correct.
While laying off the bed, gravity will work to help stretch the leg. Lay like this for ~20 minutes and your hamstring should relax. If you need more pressure, you can place the uninjured foot on top of the ankle of the injured leg. This will provide additional force to help straighten out that injured leg.
Recommendation: Prone Hang for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day.
After ACL injury it is important to immediately work on getting the quad to function.
To do this exercise, place your finger on the VMO (vastus medialis oblique). Pull your foot back and tighten your quad. Your finger should get pushed back from your muscle contracting when performed properly. Compare this to your uninjured leg, it should feel the same.
Once you can do that, we need to work on short arc quads. Place a cushion or pillow under your knee. Pull your toes back again, place your finger in the same location as before, and straighten your leg all the way out until the quad squeezes. The leg should not be lifted bent (from the hip), but instead should be extended from the knee.
Recommendation: Do 5-10 short arc quad repetitions, 2-4 times a day, immediately after you get hurt.
After ACL injury, we also need to regain the bending of the knee. Once you can get the knee at about 95 – 100°, you can get on a stationary bike for further rehab.
For this exercise, while sitting on a table (end of the couch, chair, etc.), you’ll notice that the injured leg will not bend all the way. Take your good leg, place it on top of the injured leg and push back to bend the injured knee. Hold it for ~5 seconds and repeat.
Recommendation: Do 10 repetitions holding for five seconds on each rep, 2-3 times a day. °
Following surgery, place one hand where the small cut on the front of your knee is, lock your elbow and push down. With the other hand placed on your ankle pull up.
Recommendation: Do 4 sets for 20 seconds at least 3 times a day.