Workout Advice for Ligament Injuries?

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kamikazikelli
kamikazikelli Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi fellow MFP!

I am trying to get back into working out and exercising, but I have an issue. I have a torn PCL in my right knee. I used to do roller derby which kept me in great shape, but I tore my PCL ligament doing so. I should be going to a doctor soon on surgery consultation, but in the meantime I want to be exercising. Does anyone know of any low-impact or easy on the knee exercises?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
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    Not much exercise can be done on the leg with the torn PCL. Do upper body stuff untill you see the doc.
  • MattTheWaterRat
    MattTheWaterRat Posts: 167 Member
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    exercise bike with very low resistance
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
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    I'm currently in a wheelchair after a knee surgery. I just spent 23 minutes wheeling around my neighborhood as fast as I could. I looked ridiculous but I burned 174 calories doing it.
  • kamikazikelli
    kamikazikelli Posts: 23 Member
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    I'm currently in a wheelchair after a knee surgery. I just spent 23 minutes wheeling around my neighborhood as fast as I could. I looked ridiculous but I burned 174 calories doing it.


    I love it! Good for you!
  • Bocch
    Bocch Posts: 191 Member
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    One exercise that comes to mind would be straight leg lifts and then do the butterfly leg lifts as this will help with core and some quad work. Possibly abductor workouts if you have a gymn that has that machine. Or do the scissors when doing the leg lifts.
  • jdavis36
    jdavis36 Posts: 25 Member
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    Pilates...if you are not familiar - it's all core and many exercises are don lying down and moving/focus on the core. You can do a lot of free weights lying on your back also. If you don't know pilates - you tube will give you great ideas and demonstrations. you'll get a sweat and a very concentrated workout. The PT or doc should be recommending some pre-surgical knee excercises too, so you go into surgery strong for a faster recovery. Make sure you ask about that
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    I lost my PCL 20 years ago.
    Straight leg lifts were the main rehab to regain quad strength - mine were very wasted as a cartilage was also torn out in the same incident and blocked my knee joint, took a while to get correct diagnosis...

    Next step was leg extensions then on to high resistance cycling etc.
    Strong quads are essential to regain knee stability. Also work on your balance a bit further down the line - it will have been affected. Wobble boards etc..

    Professional advice is important but as it's a much more unusual injury than ACL so a "standard" trainer or physio may not have come across the injury before.

    Lunges are very risky by the way due to the fore and aft laxity. Highly recommend getting an injury specific knee brace. I've managed to play squash and ski with one.
    Best of luck.
  • Taterpoof
    Taterpoof Posts: 416 Member
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    I tore my PCL playing hockey about 2 years ago. All I can say is do everything the doctor tells you to do. I stopped physical therapy early and went right back to hockey about 3-4 months after my injury (ligament tears take a long time to heal). To this day I still can't bend my knee all the way without a lot of pain.

    As for exercise, I just walked around on my crutches a lot. Surprising that is really tiring lol
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Not sure about your specific injury but for cardio you could try cycling (low resistance), boxing or swimming (with a pool buoy if needed). Don't do anything unless it's pain-free
  • lguy29
    lguy29 Posts: 131
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    I tore my PCL July 2010, such an uncommon injury! Here's what my trainers and orthos told me:

    1. Strengthen your quad. I would lie down on my stomach, back, and each side and do slight leg raises. Also laying on your back and contracting the quad muscle for now.

    2. Keep your hamstrings stretched/loose. Even now if my hamstring is tight, my PCL/knee starts to ache. Stretch and drink water!

    3. Closed chain exercises only! This means that your foot/feet must be on a platform/supported when doing strength training.

    4. Bike bike bike! Seated upright bikes (not the low bikes with a back rest!) were the number one cardio exercise recommended for me. Ensure your form is proper (consult a cycling expert on that one, sorry!) so that you can avoid further injury. Keep the resistance comfortable.

    5. Consult your ortho. They will do a "draw" test to see how much your leg gives below the knee. This will give the ortho a "grade" of tear and will help determine if surgery is needed or not. Likely not if your getting around well. Also this gives the ortho a comparison point for your body's natural healing.

    6. Know that your PCL will never be 100% healed and will always be torn. However, I still play softball and do heavy lifting, and have no problems. The biggest challenge for me was moving forward mentally and not being afraid of reinjury. I did use a brace for a while - custom fitted and sports-quality!

    Hope this helps! Message me/ friend me for more help :)
  • Taterpoof
    Taterpoof Posts: 416 Member
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    It's really weird to see other people with this injury. Until now I was the only one I knew who had it and nobody even knew what a PCL is =P

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