how to rehab a strained mcl

How long does it take to recover from a sprained MCL?

It can take anywhere from a few days to 8 weeks for an MCL injury to heal and a person to return to normal activities and sports. Generally, the timeline is determined by the severity of the injury, although this is not true for every person.

How do you heal a strained MCL?

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

What is the fastest way to recover from an MCL injury?

Treatment for MCL tears include: Exercises to strengthen muscles. Use of a protective knee brace during exercise....Treatment for MCL InjuryRest.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.Pain relievers.Sep 26, 2016

Is walking good for MCL sprain?

Rest your knee and avoid walking or any activity that causes pain. They may recommend using crutches and a knee brace to reduce further strain on your MCL when walking. Apply ice packs to the area for 15 to 20 minutes every two hours. Wrap the area with an elastic bandage for compression.Jul 20, 2020

What does MCL strain 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.

How do I strengthen my MCL?

0:012:18Strengthening Exercises for Medial Collateral Ligament MCL knee ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStraight leg raise exercises. Also work the quad muscles to prevent muscle wasting in the earlyMoreStraight leg raise exercises. Also work the quad muscles to prevent muscle wasting in the early stages just raise the leg a few inches off the floor. And hold for five seconds.

How do you tell if MCL is torn or sprained?

If your MCL (medial collateral ligament) is torn, you may experience the following signs and symptoms:Hearing a popping sound at the time of the injury.Experiencing pain in your knee.Having tenderness along the inner side of your knee.Having stiffness and swelling in your knee.More items...•Oct 18, 2021

Can I bend my knee after MCL injury?

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

Can you exercise with a torn MCL?

Depending on what section of the MCL is injured can determine how early knee flexion range of motion exercises can start, but this is case-dependent. On average, most athletes can return to full competition within 5 to 7 weeks.Feb 2, 2021

What helps ligaments heal faster?

Balance, control, and strengthening exercises can also help your ligaments heal more quickly than they otherwise would.

How do you sleep with a torn MCL?

To find a comfortable sleep position, use a pillow to support the painful parts. You can put the pillow: between your knees, if you sleep on your side. under your knees, if you sleep on your back.

Does a torn MCL hurt to touch?

Symptoms of a torn MCL include pain on the inside of the knee, tenderness in the inner knee area, inside area of the knee may hurt to touch, swelling over the injured area, ruising around the knee, knee instability, feeling as if the knee may give out, knee stiffness, difficulty bending and straightening the injured ...Apr 22, 2021

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!

Is MCL a common injury?

Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries are not super common in isolation; however, they do still occur mostly in sports, and can be one of the structures involved in more serious knee injuries. In most cases, the prognosis is good for these injuries with proper treatment. In this article, we will cover MCL injury rehabilitation considerations, ...

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.

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 the purpose of the MCL handout?

This handout is to help you rebuild the strength of the knee muscles after injury to the MCL of the knee. It is intended as a guideline to help you organize a structured approach to strengthen the knee.

How to straighten knees?

Standing sideways to the step, slowly step up onto the step and slowly straighten the knee using the quadriceps muscles. Slowly lower the opposite foot to touch the floor. Do not land on the floor, just touch gently and repeat the step up.

What is a medial knee sprain?

Medial Knee Ligament (MCL Sprain) A Medial collateral knee ligament sprain or MCL sprain is a tear of the ligament on the inside of the knee. It is usually caused by twisting or direct impact, but may develop gradually over time through overuse. Here we explain the symptoms, causes, treatment and rehabilitation of an MCL sprain.

How to reduce swelling in a swollen ear?

Electrotherapy. A professional therapist may use electrotherapy treatments such as Ultrasound to help control swelling and pain. Ultrasound transmits high frequency sound waves into the tissues applying a mico massage effect and helping to reduce swelling.

Where is the MCL located?

The MCL itself has two parts to it; a deep section which attaches to the cartilage and capsule in the knee, and a superficial band that starts higher up on the femur to an area lower down on the inner surface of the tibia and is much more near the surface .

Can a knee ligament tear?

The ligament on the inside of the knee becomes stretched and if the force is great enough, some or even all of the fibres will tear. The deep part of the ligament is prone to becoming damaged first which may lead to a medial cartilage meniscus injury. Twisting the knee can also cause a medial ligament sprain as well as the possibility ...

What is the MCL?

Anatomy. The medial collateral ligament (or MCL for short) connects the thigh bone (or femur) to the shin bone (or tibia) on the inside of the knee and prevents the knee joint from moving sideways, particularly from forces on the outside of the knee. The MCL itself has two parts to it; a deep section which attaches to the cartilage ...

How long does it take to recover from a MCL sprain?

A mild MCL injury or grade one sprain should take 3 to 6 weeks to make a full recovery. A more severe grade 2 or grade 3 injury may take 8 to 12 weeks. MCL rehabilitation program.

Can a knee sprain cause a tear?

Twisting the knee can also cause a medial ligament sprain as well as the possibility of an ACL tear. If the foot is planted and the player tries to turn quickly this can also lead to stressing the joint causing the inside of the joint to open and tear the ligament.

How long does it take for a knee ligament to heal?

When this happens, you may face a recovery time of weeks to months, depending on the grade of the MCL tear.

Can you bend your knee with a knee brace?

When a grade II MCL injury occurs, the use of a hinged knee brace can be useful in early treatment. 5  The hinged knee brace will allow you to bend the knee, but provide support to the injured ligament.

How long does it take to recover from a MCL tear?

When this happens, you may face a recovery time of weeks to months, depending on the grade of the MCL tear. 2 . Treatment of an MCL tear depends on the severity of the injury.

Do MCL tears need surgery?

MCL tears often do not need surgery. There are many studies that document successful nonsurgical treatment in nearly all types of MCL injuries. 8  Most surgeons agree that for patients who complain of persistent knee instability, despite appropriate nonsurgical treatment, surgery is reasonable. 9 

How long should I be immobilized after a grade 3 MCL tear?

When a grade III MCL tear occurs, patients should brace their knee and use crutches until the pain has subsided. 7  The knee can be immobilized for a few days initially, but early range-of-motion will help in the recovery process.

How long does it take to recover from a sprain?

MCL sprain symptoms of recovery 1 Improves significantly in 7-10 days = 2-3 week recovery 2 Slight improvements in first 1-2 weeks = 3-4 week recovery 3 Slow improvements in first 3-4 weeks = 6-8 week recovery 4 Hard to see week to week improvements = 8+ week recovery

What is grade 3 MCL?

A grade 3 MCL sprain is a complete tear of the MCL. This means that surgical intervention is the only way to restore a functioning MCL. There is not a recovery time for the injury; as it will not health itself.

Is grade 1 MCL sprain a grade 1 sprain?

A grade one MCL sprain can be one of the easiest ones to diagnose. If after the initial injury you feel progress day-to-day, you are probably looking at a grade 1 type of sprain. As mentioned above, there aren’t just three degrees of injury to an MCL. There is a spectrum.

What is the best treatment for a MCL sprain?

I wish I could tell you there is a magic bullet that accelerates recovery. Unfortunately, rest is the main element to MCL sprain treatment. ICE and NSAID’s are always recommended, but they are usually most helpful after the initial injury.

Is a grade 2 MCL tear a grade 3 tear?

A grade 2 MCL sprain can be the most difficult to diagnose. Really bad grade 2 MCL sprains often feel like what the injured party would imagine a grade 3 (complete tear) would feel like ; however, a non-complete tear isn’t as significant and can health without surgery; which is an important distinction between the two.

Can you stretch your MCL before it heals?

Your MCL sprain could be made much worse by trying to stretch it or increase its range of motion before it has had a chance to heal. This is a common treatment mistake.