5 Signs that you're overworking your knee after ACL Surgery & simple Tips to help you reduce Pain and Swelling

During the stages of your recovery program following ACL reconstruction surgery, you will be asked by your surgeon and/or physiotherapist to perform a series of exercises that will aid to improve the condition of your knee at each stage of the program. These exercises along with other factors of everyday life will either have a positive or negative impact on the condition of your knee, so in this post we will look at:

• Signs that you're overworking your knee

• Factors that can impact your progress

• Simple tips to keep the swelling and pain away 

So, let's begin.....

Factors that can impact your Knee

During your recovery program there will be many factors that can impact your knee, causing one of the signs below to arise. Anything like your rehabilitation exercises, simple mistakes or your everyday lifestyle, which would include working long hours and being on your feet all day or minding your children, all of these factors can affect your knee at anytime during your recovery program.

Signs you're Overworking your Knee after ACL Surgery

Instant or Continuous Pain

• After undergoing any type of surgery, but especially ACL reconstruction surgery then pain will unfortunately always be a factor you must deal with. However, depending on the time period during your recovery the levels of pain will most likely resonate with the current condition of your knee.

• Once you begin your rehab exercises or even if your back on your feet running, pain will be a great indicator of how much force is being applied. 

• If after or during each physical activity your knee becomes painful, then this means that you are overworking your knee and so it's time to pull back or stop.

Swelling around the Knee

• With pain being a more instant sign of overworking, swelling can also be a great indicator simple because swelling only occurs in a body part if it is damaged or injured and not if it's healthy.

• Usually after performing rehabilitation exercises you may notice a fluid like substance gathering around your knee, enlarging the skin. This can happen at any time during your recovery program and is a clear sign that you're doing too much, as the force being applied is greater than your knee can handle.

• The swelling will linger for as long as you continue to apply this force, so best practice would be to ease off and allow the swelling to subside through icing over 48 hours.

Stiffness in your Knee

• The stiffness in your knee when you wake up in the morning or stand up after resting for a long period of time may be a sign of either underworking or overworking different aspects of your rehabilitation.

• Stiffness can impact your knee anytime during your recovery program and even for many years afterwards, especially under heavy or intense force through physical activities and/or events.

• However, if the stiffness is stopping you from baring your bodyweight through your knee or restricting you from bending or straightening your knee through its natural range of motion, then this would be a clear sign of overworking.

Struggling to finishing your Rehab Exercises

• During your entire recovery program after undergoing ACL surgery you will have to perform a series of exercises that are designed to help improve, rebuild and strengthen your surgically repaired knee.

• These exercises are planned out specifically by your physiotherapist with the aim of improving the quality of your knee and should be followed step by step.

• If for some reason you find yourself not able to finish an exercise too it's completion, then this could be a sign that you may not be following the specific program or some exercises are simply too much for your knee to handle.

• Talking to your physiotherapist will be the best solution for this problem.

Tenderness and Soreness around the Knee

• It's always a good idea to physically examine your knee, whether it's a doctor, your physiotherapist or even yourself, if pressure is applied to the skin surrounding the knee and you feel some Tenderness or Soreness then this also will be a sign of overworking.

• This type of examination may not be suitable during some periods of your recovery program for example, right after ACL surgery would not be suitable as you will clearly have some severe pain. 

• But any other time especially after some form of physical activity you happen to feel tenderness around the knee, then this quick examination may inform you to slow down and be cautious going forward.

What causes the Swelling and Pain?

Before you can deal with any swelling or pain you must first ask yourself  "What is causing this to happen", if you can find the source of the problem then half the battle is won. The common causes for knee pain or swelling anytime after ACL surgery would be:

• Standing for long periods 

• Keeping your knee in a locked position for too long 

• Not using the available medication nearest to you

Your body has an amazing ability of communicating to you through how it reacts to certain elements of your recovery, so take notice and watch how your knee reacts to find the source of the problem.

Tips to reduce Swelling & Pain

Icing after Exercises 

• Icing is one of the best forms of recovery and to also help control swelling and pain in and around your knee. It's cheap, simple to use and easily accessible at your local supermarket or pharmacy.

• Icing helps the blood vessels retracted, reducing the blood flow to the affected area, thus helping reduce the inflammatory or swelling.

• Place an ice pack to the affected area, do not place the pack directly to the skin, use a cloth or towel between your skin and the ice pack. Leave the ice pack on for no more than 12 minutes, any longer could cause long term problems.

Take Painkillers

• Painkillers will come in all types of brand names and different shapes, colours, sizes, but all have the same goal in common and that's to help reduce pain suffered by the patient.

• This drug will first be prescribed by your surgeon in the hospital after your ACL surgery. This is when the pain of the surgery will be at its highest. Your surgeon will also prescribe you with more painkillers before you leave the hospital, for you to take at home.

• The levels of pain will decrease over time but there may be long lasting pain for the majority of your recovery, over the counter painkillers would be a great way to treat the pain at that time period.

Keep your Leg Elevated

• When you leave the hospital after having surgery, your surgeon may ask you to keep your leg elevated to help reduce the swelling around the knee.

• Keeping your leg elevated (level with your heart or above) will reduce the amount of blood flow to your knee, causing the inflammation to reduce and also improve the levels of pain in your knee.

• Always be sure to lower your legs and move around from time to time, decreasing the likelihood of cutting off complete blood flow to the legs.

Use Crutches

• In the first couple of weeks after ACL surgery, you will be using crutches to not only keep your balance but also help bear some of your bodyweight.

• With the use of the crutches supporting your bodyweight this will reduce the levels of stress or load going through your knee and therefore reducing the levels of swelling in the knee.

• The crutches are only used in the early stages of your recovery program, eventually weaning off the reliance of the crutches to improve the conditioning of your knee.

Rest

• Like with anything in life whether it would be your job, your studies or exercising, rest is a vital part of your recovery. Allowing the body time to relax and heal is a major step in the improvement of whatever you do, and it's no different for your knee.

• During your recovery program you will be performing a volume of exercises that are there to aid you in your recovery. But this stress can become too much for your knee to handle, causing it to react in a negative way.

• To counteract this problem you will need to rest your knee for a certain period of time, to allow your knee time to adjust and heal. This rest period can dramatically improved the swelling and pain in your knee.

Now that you've finished reading what are your thoughts about the information,

• Did you find it helpful? 

• Have you ever experienced these signs?

• Do you have any other inside tips or tricks to help deal with pain or swelling? 

Leave your thoughts, questions or answers in the comment section below and I hope you enjoyed this post 

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