ACL Program
Because so many ACL injuries occur during sports without contact from another player, there have been numerous studies to find out why some athletes are more susceptible to an ACL injury than others. Studies have found that some common risk factors: some that are related to an individuals body, and others that have an affect from outside the body.
Risk factors related to the body include:
- Anatomical differences in body alignment and development, variations in ACL structure, body mass, joint laxity and hyper-flexibility.
- Hormonal differences
- Neuromuscular control
External risk factors include:
- type of footwear
- surface type
- weather conditions
- equipment used
- conditioning and skill level
Neuromuscular control and conditioning are two of the main areas you can address to improve your risk of a non-contact ACL injury. This means when you train and condition the muscles around the knees (and the whole leg) correctly, you can become stronger, better balanced, and be able to react quicker to unstable situations. All of this helps protect the knee joint. Learn more about ACL injuries >>
ACL strengthening program
St. Francis Sports Medicine is providing an optional six-week ACL Strengthening Program for CESA athletes. The program begins with a free ACL screening by trained medical professionals. If the athlete is determined to be at risk for an ACL injury, or if the athlete wants additional strengthening to help prevent an ACL injury, he or she can be enrolled into our ACL program. The program lasts six weeks, with two programs each week.
The cost of the six-week program is $150. This program will be offered again during the off-season. For tips on screening your athlete at home, and for ACL strengthening exercise, please see below.
home screen for neuromuscular control and injury risk
The following are three simple tests that can be done at home to see if you might be at risk for an ACL injury. Have someone watch you do these tests to see how well you perform. The closer you can perform to the Correct descriptions, the lower your risk for ACL injury.
(If you have pain with any of these test, stop immediately, and do not attempt again until cleared by your doctor, physical therapist, or athletic trainer!)
corrective exercises to help prevent injury
Here are three exercises based on the screening tests to get you started with conditioning to help prevent ACL injuries. Doing these with correct technique and mechanics is crucial to helping prevent injury, so be aware of how you are moving!
(If you have pain with any of these exercises, stop immediately, and do not attempt again until cleared by your doctor, physical therapist, or athletic trainer!)
