Signs Your Shoulder Pain Needs Help
Shoulder pain isn’t uncommon, but how do you know when to see your doctor? Here’s what you need to know.
Your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) helps keep your knee joint stabilized. If it gets torn or compromised, you most likely feel drastic pain when the injury occurs.
Ways that you can damage your ACL include pivoting swiftly while your feet are planted, stopping suddenly, jumping or landing awkwardly, or getting hit in the knee during a sporting event or an accident.
At Crescent City Orthopedics, our team specializes in ACL tears. When you visit our practice in Metairie, Chalmette, or Covington, Louisiana, we provide the medical care and attention you need so you can get back on your feet again.
An ACL tear usually happens to athletes due to the high demand on your body. It can also occur in active individuals that enjoy recreational hobbies, such as skiing or playing sports with friends.
When you tear your ACL, symptoms include:
If you ignore your symptoms and try to allow healing to happen on its own, your ACL could lose all ability to control or support all knee movement. Without treatment, your knee can become weaker and more damaged.
You must take proactive steps for healing.
When you tear your ACL, first choosing to strengthen and stabilize your ligament with physical therapy and bracing your knee might be the right solution for you. Starting your healing journey with supervised medical rehabilitation can result in not needing surgery.
We also encourage the RICE protocol, which to rest, ice (at least every two hours for 20 minutes at a time while you’re awake), compress, and elevate the injured area.
If you choose to have surgery, it’s typically scheduled soon after your injury. Surgical reconstruction can restore your ACL with tendon grafts.
You might consider surgery if:
Deciding to treat your ACL with an operative or nonoperative treatment doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. That’s why you should schedule an appointment with our team immediately if you injure your knee.
If you have a knee injury, contact us today by calling the nearest location to you, or use the online booking tool. You can also send us a message if you have questions before you come in. For your convenience, we also offer telemedicine as an option.
