How to Improve After ACL Reconstruction Surgery

Surgery on your anterior cruciate ligament is the first step toward regaining full strength and full mobility for your knee. The anterior cruciate ligament is the most important of three knee ligaments that controls movement and motion. Therapy after surgery requires effort, discipline and consistency.

Instructions

• 1

  Start doing light exercise within hours after surgery. One of the things you can do is lift your leg while in a sitting position to make it parallel to the ground. Then put it down to the starting position. Do this about 10 times every 10 minutes in order to keep blood clots from forming.

• 2

  Elevate your leg in the first 3 to 5 days after surgery. Prop your leg up with pillows and cushions and make sure it is at a 45-degree angle. If you have enough pillows, raise your leg to a position where it is 12 inches above the level of your heart.

• 3

  Take pain medication in the first two weeks after surgery with your doctor's approval. In many cases, the pain and discomfort from arthroscopic knee surgery can be handled with over-the-counter remedies like aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen. In other cases, stronger medication requiring a prescription will be needed.

• 4

  Do straight leg raises once you get to the one-week mark following your surgery. Lie down on the floor and lift the leg you had surgery on to a point about eight inches above the ground. This will help you regain range of motion, strength and confidence in your leg.

• 5

  Continue with balance, stability and strength training exercises under the watchful eye of a licensed physical therapist once you get to the 2-week mark after surgery. The physical therapist will push you to do the exercises that will help you regain full range of motion and strength in your knee without doing further damage. You may begin by walking in a pool for 20 minutes at a time as your introduction to resistance training. It can take 6 to 9 months to recover from ACL surgery.