ACL experiences - how have Snowheads with ACL injuries coped?

A snowHead

Injured my ACL skiing over Christmas; still awaiting full diagnosis, but in full leg splint. Some lateral laxity in the joint. How have SHs who have had this injury found the best routes to re-hab? Also, what about knee-braces? Great way to start the year. Sad

A snowHead

Ian Kenvyn, sorry to hear about your injury. it's well worth looking back on some of the threads on ACL injuries and rehab on the site, tons of good information available. The main piece of advice I would give you at this stage would be make sure you are in the hands of a good specialist. I really do think it helps if your surgeon is a skier. I skied with a great guy a couple of weeks ago called Jonathan Bell who works out of Wimbledon knee clinic. I was making my comeback after nearly 2 years out with ACL and MCL injuries. He very kindly looked at the knee and gave me some sound advice, I would have given my right arm to have someone like that look at me from the start. I hope you get your diagnosis quickly and then you can focus on what you need to do. I had ACL reconstruction back in December 2009 and my only regret is I wish I had it sooner. Anyway once I knew I was having it I gave myself a year for the rehab (I am 40), yes people can and do make it back a lot quicker but we are all different. The best advice I had in the rehab was not to overdo do it, I worked very hard but think I got the balance right. You do have a few up and downs, about 3 months ago I was limping around in agony and thought it had gone Pear shaped but I just backed off on the intensity of the gym work and got back in the groove and achieved my target of skiing a year after the op. The skiing went great, I had two days one on one coaching with Warren Smith who runs a return from injury camp and I would highly recommend this to anyone coming back from injury as there is a physio and surgeon on hand. So my knee not quite what is was but By the time I came back to skiing I was in really great shape and I can honestly say that I have never skied better and am definitely going to stay focussed on improving my technique. My physio starts again next week so it is still ongoing, I plan to use the brace for the rest of this season at least but it is a personal thing. I wish you the best of luck and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to Contact me.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Ian Kenvyn, learn as much as you can before you see the specialist and ask lots of questions. If you don't feel happy with the replies you get - challenge them. If you're still not happy walk away and look for someone who will listen to you.

Take a look at this page and ask your GP to refer you to one of the specialist KNEE orthopaedic surgeons in your area:

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEnotes/node/396

These pages are excellent for you to learn more about your injury and all the current options for treatment and a guide to a typical rehab protocol:

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEnotes/node/1761

If it helps to give you a bit of positive hope, I was back skiing 6 months after my last reconstruction (operation August 2008 skiing again end of January 2009). Cool

And I'm no spring chicken Toofy Grin

- more of a scraggy old broiler Shocked

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Guys, thanks so much for the advice - Snowheads is *such* a great source Toofy Grin

The good news today from the medics is that I have a grade 2+ tear to the medial ligament (side of knee) but my cruciates are sound, whoop, whoop Laughing

So its rehab and physio, but no surgery and I'll ski again this season.

Thanks for taking the time to write - I was in a dark place, but now the world looks better Cool

Ian

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ACL experiences - how have Snowheads with ACL injuries coped?

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