People get injured every day, but many people do not seek treatment immediately as they should. If you have experienced an ACL injury, leaving your injury untreated could have severe consequences for your health. At Farmingdale Physical Therapy East, we provide sports injury rehabilitation in Farmingdale, NY, to help patients overcome their injuries and safely return to the activities they love. Continue reading to learn more about the consequences of an untreated ACL injury.
What Happens If An ACL Injury Is Not Treated?
Many athletes ignore the pain of an injury because they want to keep playing or working out. In some cases, they may not notice that they’ve sustained an injury. Overlooking an injury can be dangerous in the long run. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are highly prevalent among athletes that participate in sports with lots of cutting, pivoting, or sidestepping maneuvers. They can also occur through direct contact with an object or other traumatic injury.
ACL injuries can be excruciating and debilitating. Without treatment, an athlete may not be able to function correctly. Waiting to receive treatment can decrease your chances of a good outcome since torn ligaments become increasingly challenging to repair over time. Some of the risks of not treating an ACL injury include:
- Pain – Not treating your injury immediately can make it worse. A small ACL tear can turn into a more significant tear, which leads to more pain and a longer recovery time.
- Arthritis – Untreated ligament injuries affect how you move your joints, forcing other bones and tissues to overcompensate for weakness. These altered mechanics can lead to more wear and tear in the cartilage and ultimately lead to osteoarthritis.
- Instability – Untreated ACL injuries can lead to your knee becoming unstable when performing specific actions. Your knee can catch, click, or buckle repeatedly.
- Disability – If left untreated, partial ACL tears can become a complete rupture. An ACL rupture can disable your ability to bend and straighten your knee, put weight on your leg, or walk normally.
Seeking out sports injury rehabilitation in Farmingdale, NY, at the first sign of an ACL injury is crucial to ensure you make a safe and speedy recovery. We’ll create a personalized treatment program to address your injury and help you regain strength and stability in your knee.
Contact Us
At Farmingdale Physical Therapy East, we have seen athletes and active individuals become sidelined after leaving their ACL injury untreated. Our goal with sports injury rehabilitation in Farmingdale, NY is to help patients return to their favorite sports safely and help them prevent debilitating injuries in the future. Sports rehabilitation can also help you improve your overall athletic output. To learn more about treatment for ACL injuries, be sure to contact our team today!