Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Knee Specialist Doctors NYC

At Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates (ALC injury specialists) you’ll get the ACL diagnosis, pain management, and treatment you need to reduce or eliminate your ACL injury. Because when you have pain — whether it’s from an accident, sporting injury, age or ailment — you want a proper diagnosis and pain relief. And appropriate and targeted treatment starts with a a proper knee injury diagnosis from our doctors.

Professional and every day athletes who participate in high-impact, high-stress sports that require quick stops and cuts are most at risk for incurring injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). In NYC, that not only means people who play competitive basketball, soccer, football or tennis, but also anyone with an active lifestyle. Although women are more at risk than men, the greater risk is the type of physical activity.

The ACL is the most important of the four ligaments in your knee joint. It wraps around your knee from front to back and from your tibia (shin bone) up to your femur (thigh bone). The ligament crosses in front of your knee and provides stability and strength to your knee.

How You Can Hurt Your ACL

Twisting wrong — putting too much torque on your knee — is the most common way to injure your anterior cruciate ligament. Ways you can injure your ACL include these types of actions, many of which are common in basketball:

  • Landing awkwardly from a jump
  • Spinning at full speed
  • Stopping quickly when running at full speed
  • Changing direction while running
  • Getting hit on the knee, either from the front or on the side

Ligaments, especially in your knees, are usually strong and durable. The older you get, however, the more prone to this injury you become, even if you no longer play sports.

Symptoms

You’ll know if you injure your anterior cruciate ligament because you’ll experience the following:

  • Feeling your knee pop, like something snapped inside it
  • Immediate pain that stops you from continuing
  • Weakness and instability in the joint
  • Pain if you try to bend your knee
  • Onset of swelling

If you try to walk on it, you may damage your knee even more. Instead, seek medical assistance as soon as possible from your doctor or a pain management specialist. Prompt treatment can prevent further injury and start the healing process.

ACL Injury Treatment

If you suspect that you’ve injured your ACL, wrap your knee with ice. Both the temperature and the compression can help. Of course, don’t walk on it, and if possible, raise the leg so that it’s above your heart. This reduces the blood pressure in your leg.

When you get to a NYC pain management doctor, share how the injury occurred and where your knee hurts. Pain doctors have experience treating ACL injuries because they are unfortunately way too common. The doctor will ask some questions about your injury and your medical history and then likely conduct some tests. Diagnostic testing can include:

  • X-rays
  • MRI
  • CT scan
  • Ultrasound

Rehabilitating from an ACL Injury

You’ll probably need crutches and/or a knee brace while your ACL injury heals. Once you get the pain under control, you can begin to rehabilitate your knee. Rehabilitation often involves physical therapy and exercises, particularly to strengthen the hamstrings which hold the tibia in place and help stabilize the ACL. If your injury is more extensive than just a stressed ACL surgery may be necessary.

Get the ACL Injury Diagnosis & Pain Relief You Need

Your NYC pain management doctor’s goal is to get you back to your normal routine with minimal downtime. After your diagnosis is confirmed, your doctor begins your treatment plan with the most conservative pain relief treatment. You’ll always receive non-invasive pain relief before your doctor turns to more invasive procedures like surgery.

Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates
51 East 25th St, 4th Floor, Ste B
New York, NY 10010
(212) 533-3954