Can you be OK with a torn ACL?

With ACL tears, walking is possible but can be painful. The patient should be able to walk in a straight line but will be unable to make sudden turns or pivot. A knee brace can help stabilize the knee, but with ACL tears, surgery is almost always required.
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Can you live with a torn ACL?

Can I live a normal life with an ACL tear? Yes, but it may take some time before you're completely back to how you were before the injury. Whether you choose to have surgery or not, with physical therapy you will eventually be back to normal and able to live your life.
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Can I walk around with a torn ACL?

Can you walk with a torn ACL? The short answer is yes. After the pain and swelling subsides and if there is no other injury to your knee, you may be able to walk in straight lines, go up and down stairs and even potentially jog in a straight line.
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What can you still do with a torn ACL?

Dealing with a torn ACL

If you're an older, less active individual, you may be able to avoid surgery and use lifestyle changes and home remedies such as rest, bracing, and ice as therapy. If, however, you are intent on returning to your sport, surgery may be required to restore function.
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Can a torn ACL go untreated?

Long-term knee instability

If you wait too long to treat a torn ACL, you're at risk of developing chronic knee pain and knee instability. Waiting to get treatment may mean that surgery is your only option. Or you may need to cope with ongoing instability by modifying your activities and giving up intensive sports.
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How To Check Your ACL - Top 3 Signs You Have An ACL Tear



How can I fix my ACL without surgery?

To treat a minor ACL tear, your doctor may suggest that you:
  1. Apply ice to the knee a few times a day.
  2. Prop the knee above the level of your heart.
  3. Compress the knee with a bandage or wrap.
  4. Reduce or stop activity for several weeks.
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Is it worth getting ACL surgery?

ACL injury treatment aims to restore knee function, eliminate knee pain and swelling, and reduce potential further damage to the knee, especially meniscus tears. Surgery is the best way to treat an ACL injury for competitive athletes who must return to their sport at a high level.
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Does a torn ACL hurt all the time?

Some people have minimal to no pain, minimal swelling and feel like they could play, but be careful. The typical symptoms of an ACL tear or injury include: A loud popping sound at the moment of injury. Inability to bear weight on your leg.
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Can I bend my knee with a torn ACL?

If you're able to put pressure on your hurt leg, you may notice that it's harder than normal to walk. Some people find that the knee joint feels looser than it should. Less range of motion. After you damage your ACL, it's very likely that you won't be able to bend and flex your knee like you normally would.
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What does ACL pain feel like?

Many people hear a pop or feel a "popping" sensation in the knee when an ACL injury occurs. Your knee may swell, feel unstable and become too painful to bear weight.
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How do you tell if ACL is torn or sprained?

Signs and symptoms of an ACL injury usually include:
  1. A loud "popping" in the knee.
  2. Severe pain.
  3. Rapid swelling.
  4. Loss of range of motion.
  5. Knee instability where the knee feels like it will buckle and cannot support the weight.
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What not to do with torn ACL?

Don't: Walk, swim, cycle, bend and extend your knee, etc. until you're cleared to do so. You want to rehab your ACL.
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How long does an ACL tear take to heal without surgery?

Non-surgical Treatment

The recovery time is shorter when using rehabilitation and will need to be monitored by your orthopedist. The time it takes to recover is approximately 3 months.
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Can a fully torn ACL heal itself?

Full ACL tears cannot heal on their own. These tears almost always need to be treated surgically, typically using a minimally invasive approach called arthroscopy.
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Which is worse ACL or MCL?

An ACL tear is more serious than an MCL tear, and may require surgery to repair. Recovery time may be 6 months or more, including rehabilitation. An MCL tear can take around 8 weeks to recover from, but surgery is usually not required.
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What part of your knee hurts when you tear your ACL?

You will likely feel pain in the center of your knee during an ACL tear. Because the MCL is located on the side of your knee, the pain and swelling will be located on the inside of the knee structure rather than the middle.
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What are 3 signs and symptoms of an ACL tear?

What are the symptoms of an ACL injury or tear?
  • A “pop” in the knee at the time of injury.
  • Swelling of the knee.
  • Inability to bear weight on leg (though some have little or no pain)
  • Instability of the knee.
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How do you test for a torn ACL?

An MRI can show the extent of an ACL injury and signs of damage to other tissues in the knee, including the cartilage. Ultrasound. Using sound waves to visualize internal structures, ultrasound may be used to check for injuries in the ligaments, tendons and muscles of the knee.
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How can I check my ACL at home?

When you've torn your ACL you will lose a range of motion. Try bending your knee and then straightening it out. If you can't bend your knee to a 90 degree angle or straighten out your leg because of pain, stiffness and swelling, then it is likely that you've torn your ACL. Set an appointment with your doctor.
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How urgent is ACL surgery?

How soon can I have surgery for a torn ACL? Often the best time to have reconstructive surgery is immediately after the injury. This is before muscle wasting and knee stiffness has occurred. This will result in the fastest recovery.
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Will my knee ever be the same after ACL surgery?

This means that an ACL reconstruction surgery can get your knee to very close to perfectly healthy, but it will still never be quite as healthy as it was before the actual injury.
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Are knees stronger after ACL surgery?

Despite a widespread belief that surgery leads to a stronger knee, the results showed that surgically reconstructing the A.C.L. as soon as possible after the tear “was not superior” to more conservative treatment, the study's authors wrote.
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How much does ACL surgery cost?

If you have health insurance, it will cost you $800 to $3,000. This cost includes hospital admission fees, post-surgical visits to the doctor, and other expenses that may come along. However, the rest is covered by the insurance company. People without medical coverage have to part with a lot of money.
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