Preventing An ACL Tear

Lots of people go through anterior cruciate ligament or ACL tear every year. People who are active in sports might have experienced this type of knee injury. Such an injury often occurs to people who enjoy playing basketball, soccer and other physical sports which involve twisting and jumping. In fact, it's one of the injuries that athletes want to avoid since this might lead to an end in their careers.

This ligament controls the movement of the tibia and is also found at the middle of the knee. An abrupt movement or twisting of the knee may tear or strain the ACL. This particular injury generally occurs when an athlete changes direction abruptly or when doing landing jumps. This injury is usually significantly affected by the position of the pelvis. This is why women tend to be more susceptible to an ACL strain or tear for the reason that have wider hips. For example, female athletes are much more likely to have an ACL injury than male athletes.

The good thing is, there are several ways in which you can keep yourself from experiencing an ACL injury. Below are some ways to help prevent an ACL tear.

• Flexibility
You should do regular stretching exercises. These types of routines will help your muscles perform better so that you can avoid strain. Stretching should be done before and after actively playing sports. In addition there are exercises such as yoga and pilates which will significantly help the muscle in becoming a lot more flexible.

• Strength
When you've got strong muscles, you'll be able to protect yourself from having a ligament strain. You may do it by weight lifting twice or thrice a week. If you do this exercise, aim more on the mid-section, thigh and hip areas. This may enable you to have solid leg muscles to strengthen the knees and make them more stable.

• Conditioning
As individuals get older, their bones get weaker therefore they merely play sports occasionally. If you like playing sports regardless of your age, just be sure you get regular training exercises to condition your body. You need to train plyometrics and exercises to develop your strength, balance and agility. When your body is trained, you will less likely experience injury.

• Support
If you have in the past suffered a knee injury, you're going to go through it again. To be able to continue playing sports and get away from future injuries, you have to provide extra support to your knee or utilize a knee brace when doing physical activities.

• Weight
Gaining weight can certainly be a cause of an ACL tear specially if excess fat is stored in the belly area. This can put a strain to your knees and make you susceptible to a knee injury. So, it is important to maintain a well balanced diet to keep your weight.