Knee Injury rehab

Mad_Max

Im new to this forum here, just looking for some advice on re-building my knee strength.

I tore my left MCL about 3 months ago now, I was told it was a grade 3 tear and was given a 12+ week re-coup time. A couple of weeks on crutches after the injury cost me all the thigh muscles around the knee. I've been walking for the last month or so but the muscle isnt building up enough.

The knee is still nowhere near 100% and a lot of stress does aggrivate it, so is there anything i can do that will help re-build the muscles without having to bend the knee vigourously?

I play a lot of football and would be a slender build but have decent strength in my legs.

mloc

I had a similar very serious knee injury involving amongst other things my VMO.

I realise you don't want to bend the knee vigourously, but building up strength and regaining the range of motion you had are vital to fully recovering. I started squatting as soon as I could, and also performing leg extensions (isolating one leg at a time) to build up the muscle and flexibility around the knee.

Mad_Max

So is it a case of hurting it a little to make it stronger?

Im sure if i tried some extensions on it, it would definately be very sore. Maybe its still a bit early, im pretty much just bang on the 12 weeks i was given. How long were you out before you started going through the exercises?

Racing Flat

12 weeks for the ligament to heal - ie knit back together so it's strong enough for you to train etc. However it will continue 'remodelling' (lining up in the right way etc.) for up to a year, so it may not be absolutely perfect for another while. It's like when a footballer breaks a bone and they say he will be out for 2 months - well he might be in plaster for 2 months (depending on the bone) but then after this he takes a month to get fit and then another few weeks to get match fit, so his bone was ready to play after 2 months but his body wasn't ready to play for 4 months...

Be patient, do closed chain exercises, balance and proprioception exercises (squatting, standing on one leg, hopping, doing same with eyes closed). Satrt jogging or cycling - these don't stress the MCL particularly. After you are comfortable with jogging in straight lines gardaually introduce bends, zig-zags and shuttle turns over time. Sideways movements stress the MCL most so they will be the last for you to master - once you can do shuttle runs at pace you will be more or less fully rahabilitated. Regarding pain when doing these - should only be minor discomfort at most - sharp pain and you are overdoing it.

Best of luck.

Colm_OReilly

Yup, Squat. Properly.

spiral

You could also try bridging and bridging off a swiss ball with two legs at first and then build up to one leg.
Step ups, lunges and as mentioned squats two legged and one legged are all great.

Mad_Max

Thanks for the advice guys, i have access to a top gym in the university so ill start going back there. Im assuming you mean squats with no weights to start off yes?

mloc

Mad_Max wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys, i have access to a top gym in the university so ill start going back there. Im assuming you mean squats with no weights to start off yes?

Have you been seeing a physio about this? I'd advise seeing a good sports-orientated physio who isn't going to mother you and will push you a fair bit.

I started off just doing things like leg raises keeping my leg straight (took almost a couple of months to be able to do that properly), bending and flexibility work, one legged unweighted squats using something for balance at first, then some two legged stuff, then finally back under the bar and some weighted squats until i really started building up again.

Mad_Max

I haven't seen a physio as of yet for the reason you mentioned all the physios ive ever been to only mother me and just keep bring me back for more money.

I actual went to see a chiropractor who is also a knee specialist and also suggested the single leg raises to start for a few weeks to build up the muscle in the immediate area around the knee.

I've been doing these for a few days now and they are quite hard holding the leg, i didn't realise i had lost as much muscle as i did. They are progressing a bit though.

Im going to do them for another week or two maybe then go to the gym and try and do some balance work and then the squats.

mloc was it mcl you done? and how long was your total rehab time from initial injury? Thanks for the tips again.