ACL tears common, but exercise can prevent them
January 31, 2018As Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz knows all too well, juking a defender and other sudden changes of direction can cause one of the most common injuries in football – tears to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.
“Unfortunately, even the strongest and most conditioned athletes are susceptible to suffering ACL tears,” said Katherine M. Pohlgeers, M.D., a University of Louisville sports medicine specialist and sports team physician. “The ACL is an elastic ligament that can succumb to injury, not only in the face of trauma, but also during non-contact plays.”
Immediately following ACL tears, athletes usually experience swelling, pain and weakness in the knee. The injury often requires surgery to repair and a formal physical therapy program.
While Wentz will miss the Super Bowl because of the season-ending injury he experienced in December, Pohlgeers advises that lower body exercises can help prevent injury to the stabilizing ligament in the knee by building and maintaining strength and stability in the lower extremities.
Improving balance, following safe running and jumping techniques and incorporating closed chain exercises – which include squats, lunges and leg presses – into an athlete’s training program can dramatically reduce the prevalence of ACL tears, Pohlgeers said.
Julie oversees digital content for the Office of Communications and Marketing. She began her UofL career on the Health Sciences Center campus in 2007. Prior to this, Julie was a journalist with WFPL (Louisville Public Media), and occasionally filed reports for National Public Radio.