- Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- Slide your heel back by bending your affected knee as far as you can. Then hook your other foot around your ankle to help pull your heel even farther back.
- Hold for about 6 seconds, then rest for up to 10 seconds.
- Repeat 8 to 12 times.
What exercises can I do with a sprained MCL?
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.
Can you exercise with MCL injury?
You may ride the stationary bicycle daily for 10 to 20 minutes. Avoid using stair-stepper machines, doing deep knee bends and squats or any exercise that causes crunching, clicking or pain at the kneecap.
How long should you rest a sprained MCL?
These typically require two to four weeks for recovery. During this period, you'll have to rest the knee as much as possible and perform physical rehabilitation exercises as instructed to improve the outcome of your recovery.
What stretches to do to strengthen 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.
Does walking help 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.
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
Will my MCL ever heal?
As previously noted, recovery times vary widely, but in general: A grade 1 (minor) MCL tear can take from a few days to a week and a half to heal enough for a return to normal activities, including sports. A grade 2 tear can take from two to four weeks to heal.
How do you treat a sprained MCL at home?
Most MCL injuries can be treated at home with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medicine. Your doctor may suggest that you use crutches and wear a brace that protects but allows for some movement of your knee. You may need to reduce your activity for a few weeks.
What are some exercises to help with MCL sprain?
MCL sprain proprioception exercises. Proprioception or movement control exercises involve balance and coordination which is often damaged with knee injury. Standing on one leg with your eyes closed is one way of measuring this.
What is a wobble board?
Wobble boards are most commonly used in the rehabilitation of ankle injuries such as ankle sprains, although they should also be used for other lower leg and knee injuries. They can also be used for upper limb injuries, especially the shoulder. This is important in people involved in throwing or similar activities.
How to do ROM?
To perform this gentle knee range of motion or ROM exercise the athlete lies on their back on a hard surface. The heel is slowly moved up towards the buttocks, as far as is comfortable. Socks can be worn to ensure that the foot slides. After a minute or so, a further movement may be possible. A towel or strap wrapped around ...
Who is Mike Walden?
Mike Walden. Mike is creator & CEO of Sportsinjuryclinic.net. A qualified Sports Injury Therapist with a degree in Physical Education, Sports Science and Physics, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.
What is plyometric exercise?
Plyometrics or plyometric exercises are a form of strengthening exercise, incorporating jumping, bounding and hopping movements, which works to increase power in the muscles. Power is used in the vast majority of all sports and so plyometrics can be used to help develop this for most athletes.
How to straighten knees?
Contract the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax and rest for 3 seconds. Repeat 10 to 20 times. You can also perform this exercise with a rolled up towel or foam roller under the knee as shown. Contraction will cause the foot to lift off the floor as the knee straightens.
What is a foam roller?
A foam roller is an excellent piece of kit which can be used in place of massage to treat calf injuries. They are also excellent when use regularly as part of your warm up to help prevent future injury and improve performance.
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 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 to stretch medial collateral ligament?
While lying on your back, place a rolled-up towel under the heel of your injured leg so the heel is about 6 inches off the ground. Unwind your leg muscles and let gravity slowly straighten ...
How to fix a sprained MCL?
Keep the leg straight and lower it slowly. Do 2 sets of 15. Rehab exercise s for MCL sprain. Vulnerable hip extension: Lie on your stomach with your legs right out behind you. Fold your arms under your head and rest your head on your arms. Draw your belly button in to your spine and tighten your abdominal muscles .
How long does it take to recover from a MCL tear?
An MCL, or medial collateral ligament, injury affects the ligament on the within portion of your knee. Although a full tear may need surgery and weeks of rehab, you might be able to recuperate from a partial tear or strain to complete strength in a matter of days or weeks. Rehab exercises after an MCL injury include stretches ...
How to do a heel slide?
Heel slide: Sit on a firm surface with your legs straight in front of you. Slowly slide the heel of the foot on your injured side towards your butt by pulling your knee towards your chest as you slide the heel. Return to the beginning position. Do 2 sets of 15.
How to raise your leg?
Straight leg raise: Lie on your back with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend the knee on your uninjured side and place the foot flat on the floor. Tighten up the thigh muscle on your injured side and lift your leg about 8 inches off the floor. Keep your leg straight and your thigh muscle tight.
How to stabilize a knee?
Knee stabilization: Wrap a piece of flexible tubing around the ankle of your uninjured leg. Tie a knot in the other end of the tubing and close it in a door at about ankle height. Stand dealing with the door on the leg without tubing (your injured leg) and flex your knee a little, keeping your thigh muscles tight.
How to do a wall squat?
Wall squat. Stand with your back, shoulders, and head versus a wall and look straight ahead. Keep your shoulders unwinded and your feet about 3 feet (90 centimeters) away from the wall and a shoulder’s width apart. Keeping your head against the wall, slide down the wall.
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.
Classification
Signs and symptoms
Diagnosis
- The valgus stress test is a diagnostic test that is used in cases of suspected MCL injuries. The therapist takes hold of the leg, ensuring the knee is slightly bent (approx 30 degrees). They stabilize the thigh whilst applying outward pressure on the lower leg (tibia) and this stretches the medial ligament. Pain on the inside of the knee and or excessive movement (laxity) with an alter…
Structure
- 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.
Clinical significance
- Injury to the MCL often occurs after an impact to the outside of the knee when the knee is slightly bent. 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. A grade one tear consists of fewer than 10% of the fibres being torn. A grade 2 sprain is upwards of 10% but not a complete tear of the ligament as in a gr…
Cause
- Repetitive sideways forces on the knee (known as valgus forces) can gradually over time lead to an MCL sprain. For example, from kicking a football with the inside of the foot or from kicking in martial arts. However, pain on the inside of the knee which does not occur after a sudden injury should also be considered for pes anserine tendinopathy or bursitis.
Treatment
- Treatment can be considered in terms of immediate first aid during the acute stage and longer-term rehabilitation which will depend on the severity of the injury. Sports Physiotherapist Neal Reynolds explains the treatment and rehabilitation process that elite footballers would undergo. Immediate first aid in the form of the PRICE principles (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) shoul…
Prevention
- Wear a compression bandage or knee support to help reduce any swelling and protect the joint. A hinged knee brace is best particularly for grade 2 and 3 injuries. It is a strong knee support which has solid metal supports down the sides to prevent sideways movement of the joint and protect the knee ligaments whilst healing. More severe grade 2 and ...