For more severe damage, you may need physical therapy to rehab your knee when your MCL pain begins to fade. Your physical therapist will give you exercises to strengthen the leg muscles around your knee so it works properly.
Full Answer
What is the recovery time for a MCL tear?
Jun 23, 2020 · Treatment consists of: Resting From Activity: This means you won't be playing the sport where you sustained the injury while you recover. 4 Icing the Injury: Learn how to ice correctly 1 Anti-Inflammatory Medications Knee Exercises: See which exercises are used for MCL tear recovery.
How can I tell if I tore my MCL?
Feb 02, 2021 · Early Phase MCL Injury Rehabilitation. The goals during the initial phase of rehab after an MCL injury is to calm down the area where insult occurred at the knee. This includes reducing swelling, modulating pain, and avoiding activities that will stress the MCL.
How do you tear your MCL?
How do you make your MCL heal faster? Exercises to strengthen muscles are used to treat MCL tears, among other things. During exercising, it is recommended to use a protective knee brace. Treatment for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (MCL) Injury. Rest; the use of an ice pack to minimize swelling that occurs hours after the injury
What does a MCL tear feel like?
Feb 16, 2022 · How do you make your MCL heal faster? Treatment for MCL tears include: Exercises to strengthen muscles. Use of a protective knee brace during exercise. Treatment for MCL Injury . Rest. Application of an ice pack application to reduce swelling that occurs hours after the injury. Compression using an elastic bandage or brace. Elevating the knee.
How do you make your MCL heal faster?
If you have a mild MCL strain, it can heal on its own with rest, ice, and other self-care. You'll need to raise your sore knee when you put ice on it, keep weight off the joint, and protect and compress the injury with a knee brace or elastic bandage.Dec 18, 2020
How do you rehab a torn MCL?
You will need a pillow for this exercise.Sit on the floor with your knees bent.Place a pillow between your knees.Put your hands slightly behind your hips for support.Squeeze the pillow by tightening the muscles on the inside of your thighs.Hold for 6 seconds, then rest for up to 10 seconds.Repeat 8 to 12 times.
How long does an MCL tear take to heal?
Nonsurgical Methods Recovery time for an MCL injury depends on the severity of the damage. On average, these injuries take six weeks to heal. No matter the grade of the tear, initial treatment focuses on immobilizing the knee and reducing pain and inflammation.
Is walking good for MCL injury?
Teens with a torn MCL usually need to take time off from sports, especially the sport in which the injury happened. If there is no pain and the knee does not "give way," they can usually walk, stretch, and do low-impact activities such as swimming.
Is walking good for torn ligaments?
If the MCL or ACL tears, the result is usually pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability. In most cases, the injured person can still walk with the torn knee ligament. But the movement will be severely limited, not to mention painful. Surgery may be the best route to a pain-free life, with amazing success rates.
When should I start rehab after MCL injury?
three weeks after injury (grade 1) weeks following injury, the pain is usually subsiding and the swelling is lessened. You can now try to stretch the knee to regain motion. Stationary cycle, swimming (flutter kick only) and the following exercise program are recommended.
Does knee brace help MCL?
For grade III MCL tears, patients will be placed in a hinged knee brace and use crutches until pain has subsided. The knee may be immobilized for a few days, but early range of motion will help with the healing process.
How do you tell if MCL is torn or sprained?
Symptoms of MCL Sprains and TearsA “popping” sound when the injury occurs. ... Immediate sharp pain from the inner section of the knee.Immediate swelling at the inner knee. ... Tenderness around the inner knee. ... Increased pain a few hours after the injury.More items...
Does massage help MCL injury?
It is important to remember that an acute injury (less than 24 hours), injury with swelling, and a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury with an untreated fracture are never massaged. It is best to get rest and keep the affected area immobilized.Apr 3, 2021
What does an MCL tear feel like?
Stiffness. Swelling. Tenderness along the inside of the knee. A feeling that the injured knee may give way under stress or may lock or catch.
Can you bend your knee with a torn MCL?
Swelling can spread to other areas of the knee joint in the days following the injury. The knee may feel stiff, and a person may have difficulty straightening their leg or bending their knee. They may also find climbing the stairs or sitting in a chair challenging as this requires them to bend their knee.Mar 19, 2019
How long does it take to recover from a MCL tear?
However, most athletes return within 6 to 8 months time.
What is the middle phase of MCL rehab?
In the middle phase of MCL rehab, you will begin to re-expose the MCL to loads it will need to handle with everyday activities or sports you participate in. This includes progressive stability exercises focusing on joint proprioception, which is your body’s ability to understand where it is in space.
What is a P rehab program?
The Knee [P]Rehab Program is a physical therapist developed, step-by-step program that teaches you how to optimize your knee health. This 3-phase program will expose you to various knee and lower body strengthening and stabilization exercises supported by science. This program will bulletproof your knees for anything life throws at you! Learn more HERE!
Why are ligaments important?
In this way, ligaments provide support and strength to a joint, preventing injuries such as dislocations or instances of instability. As such, ligaments are present at almost every joint in our body. Some joints, like our hip joint, have what is called a good bony fit.
What is the MCL?
One of the more commonly injured knee ligaments is the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL). The MCL is on the inside part of the knee and runs from the medial epicondyle of the femur to the medial aspect of the proximal tibia. The MCL provides stability and support to the knee during lateral or cutting movements.
How long does it take for a ligament to heal?
For instance, a grade I ligament sprain may take up to 4 weeks to heal; however, a grade II can take up to 4 months! It is important to know that these are averages of tissue healing times, and there are many more prognostic indicators that play a role in establishing healing times, which vary from person to person. Moreover, these timelines are based solely on the biological properties of the tissue. Understanding the basics of differences in healing times will help you gain perspective when recovering from an injury. You can read more on this topic below in our tissue healing article!
Why do you wear a knee brace?
This includes reducing swelling, modulating pain, and avoiding activities that will stress the MCL. In some instances, if there is a grade II or III injury, a brace may be worn for a period of time to help control the stability of the knee.
