Ask a PT

156 Posts
 
Posted - 06/04/2008 :  12:49:41  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Our user asked: "I had ACL replacement surgery about 2 months ago and was really good about physical therapy (3 times a week for 3 weeks then once a week for 2 week) and made great progress. But then I finished the program (my doctor said that was enough time and I was moving) and went back home where I took some time off. Now, however, I am getting back to exercising and being active and am experiencing pain when doing exercises like stationary biking and small lunges and even in everyday things like climbing stairs. It's pretty difficult because I would normally push through something like this but it hurts quite a bit and I don't want to mess up anything in there again. Which exercises should I do and which should I not do to get back into shape in terms of fitness and cardio strength? Do you have any other recommendations? Thanks!"

Ask a PT Response: "We usually see patients who have undergone ACL reconstruction in physical therapy on average for 2-3 months. Here is a sample protocol for an ACL reconstruction. Keep in mind that protocols and progression will vary for surgeons and the particuliar ACL surgery performed.
http://www.cyberpt.com/documents/ACLMain.pdf - http://www.cyberpt.com/documents/ACLMain.pdf

In your case, it appears that you may require additional physical therapy especailly since you are experiencing pain even with everyday activities. I would definitely not recommend you return to sports or higher level activities (pivoting, cutting, running, etc.) yet. The best thing to do would be to see if you could obtain more physical therapy or contact the physical therapist you had been working with to see if he or she can develop a home exercise program tailored to your needs with progression taken into account. Good luck with your recovery and thanks for using CyberPT."