It’s that time of year, Mardi Gras season, and that means one thing around Elite Physical Therapy… ACL tears! Yes, we have had a few over the years from dancing the night away at annual holiday balls, however, as many Central Louisiana residents take advantage of the holiday week and hit the ski slopes we routinely see the proverbial ACL tear that occurred while enjoying their vacation.
The ACL, or Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is a ligament in the knee that connects from the thigh bone to the shin bone and stabilizes the knee. Injuries to the ACL often occur while skiing through a forward, twisting fall when the knee is forced inward to a valgus or “knock knee” position. This knock knee is also the common position of the knee during the snowplow, wedge or “pizza” often used to teach beginner skiers to stop. Another common occurrence of ACL ski injuries happens during jumps, even small ones, landing in a squatted position with the person’s body weight shifted toward the back.
ACL injuries occur in both males and females. Numerous risk factors have been associated with a higher incident rate. Being proactive with proper conditioning and warm up have been shown to reduce this incident rate.
A few tips to help you get ready and stay safe:
- Mobility, Strength and Conditioning: Focus on quadricep, gluteal and core muscle strength. Specifically work on calf stretching and training the body to be comfortable in the “shin forward position” of the ski boot.
- It’s typically cold! A good warmup on the bike, if possible or just spend some time getting the core body temperature up with active squats, lunges and a series of calf, hamstring and quadricep stretching.
- Make a few runs on your “easy” terrain to warm up before jumping into the harder terrain or deeper powder.
- While in the lift lines and after getting off the lift do a few squats while clipped into your skis to keep those muscles warm.
- Keep working on ski form including hands forward and hips over knees driving the shin forward into the front your ski boots.
The team at Elite Physical Therapy is here to help you through your pre-trip planning or post injury recovery. Contact us at 318-443-3311 today!
Enjoy the slopes and stay healthy!
Don Cassano, MPT, DPT
