ACL Tear Stretches & Exercises - Ask Doctor Jo

If you have an ACL surgery, make sure you follow your doctor and physical therapist protocols because there are several different ways to do the surgery, and they require different rehab during the recovery.

The first exercise is going to be a heel slide. Sit on the ground or your bed with the leg you want to exercise straight out in front of you. You can bend the other one up to a comfortable level or leave it all the way down. Slide your leg up keeping your foot flat on the ground. Go as far as you comfortably can, and then slide back down. Start with 10 of these, and work your way up to 20-25.

Now you will do a quad set. Put your leg you want to exercise out in front of you. You want to squeeze or activate the quad muscle by pushing your knee down into the ground. If you want to roll up a small towel to place underneath your knee for a target, you can. Also, pulling your toes up towards you will help straighten out the knee and contract the muscles. Hold this for 3-5 seconds and relax. Start with ten of these and work your way up to 20-25.

Then you will do an ankle pump. You can prop your ankle up on something if you want, but keep your heel free to move around. I am using a roll, but you can just hang your foot off of the bed or stool. You are going to pull your toes up at your ankle, and then push down like you are pushing on a pedal. This is dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. It works as a natural pump to get the fluid and inflammation out of the leg, so you can do this several times a day.

Next you will do a short arc quad (SAQ). For this, you will use a foam roll or a rolled up beach towel. You want something big so you have a good bend in your knee. Prop your leg over the roll with your knee on the roll. Try to keep your knee on the roll the whole time, and then lift your foot in the air until your leg is straight. If you pull your toes towards you at the end, this will help activate all the muscles in the leg. Try not to go fast because then you are only using momentum. Go slow and controlled with your movements. Start of with 10 of these, and then work up to 20-25.

Now you will do a straight leg raise (SLR). Lie down on your back, and bend one knee up. Straighten out the leg you want to exercise. You can prop up on your elbows or sit up, but this will make it harder. Pull your toes toward you to help lock out the knee. Just lift your leg to the height of your bended knee. There is no need to kick your leg way up in the air, and it actually takes away from the exercise. Make sure you are slow and controlled with this exercise. Going fast and using momentum will not be effective. If you get to 20-25 and it is easy, then you can add weights if you have them.

Finally, you will do some knee props. You can use a roll to prop up your leg, or you can sit in a chair, and have something of equal height in front of you. It can be another chair, an ottoman, etc. Place your heel on the other chair, and try to straighten out your knee as much as possible. If this is not enough stretch, you can add weights to it. A sack of potatoes works well, but sometimes it is too much weight to start with on your leg. Get a plastic bag, and add some soup or vegetable cans to it. Slide your foot through the loop of the bag, and place it just above your knee. Try to hold it there for 5-10 minutes and relax as much as you can. Over time, you can add more cans of soup.

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DISCLAIMER: This content (the video, description, links, and comments) is not medical advice or a treatment plan and is intended for general education and demonstration purposes only. This content should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat any health, medical, or physical condition. Don’t use this content to avoid going to your own healthcare professional or to replace the advice they give you. Consult with your healthcare professional before doing anything contained in this content. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Ask Doctor Jo, LLC and its officers for any and all losses, injuries, or damages resulting from any and all claims that arise from your use or misuse of this content. Ask Doctor Jo, LLC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Use of this content is at your sole risk.

[AskDoctorJo]

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[lauragate]

I wish you all the best with your injuries.

[janegriffin]

This is great, I felt the difference as soon as I did it.

[gloriannthurston]

Hey Dr. Jo, I started doing these exercises as soon as I had my appointment for surgery ( ACL reconstruction ) they were very helpful. I’m now 8 days after surgery and feeling no pain. Thank you so much!!

[mazharshah]

Thanks to all those doctors who are spreading enlightenment about this ACL or meniscus knee injuries and the present demonstration of the knee exercises really did work well. Thanks again.

[contemplation]

Wishing better of all suffering 💔 people this injury.
Don't lose hope 🙏❤.

[Winniesingss]

Just tore mine a few days ago. I go on vacation in a few weeks and I have been doing this before using the option of surgery and I can somewhat see a lot of progress. Just today I was able to get my leg almost straight because of this. Thank you, Doctor Jo.

[afrozak.]

Thank you so much .. exactly one month ago I had injury. My ACL, PCL, MCL completely torn and fracture tibia near my knee cap.. it all happened cause my adult son who has autism, he and his brother both fell down on my knee during one of his tantrum episode. 2 adults more than 300 lb fell down on my knee and I heard 3 snap sound..ouch 😢
waiting for my knee surgery.. anyway I will follow these exercises. Thank you again.😊 I wish everyone goodluck..stay safe..

[michaeldodd]

These seem like the right speed for me. Thanks!

[Picklezsaur]

Thank you so much, I've injured my kneecap over a year and a half ago, getting close to two years. The physio therapist that I had before was amazing, she gave me some of these exact excerises. I was pushed too hard by everyone around me, however, so I've been stuck with a knee that is very difficult to work with. It's hard to bend, buckles a lot randomly when I walk, etc. The stress of school plus the stress of constantly being reminded that I can't do the things I loved anymore (likr badminton) because I can't run or anything gets to me so bad, that I stopped doing excersises and lost motivation to do them. But I'm starting to slowly work on bettering myself and reminding those around me that sometimes being too pushy makes things worse rather than better, and that even if my progress is slow, it's still progress. ;)

[OrAnGeMeErKaTs]

I found this video too late but I wanted to comment and say that doing these exercises and focusing on mobility made post-surgery SO MUCH EASIER!! Especially being able to fully straighten my leg. PT would’ve been so much more painful if I wasn’t able to fully extend my leg to 0 degree pre-surgery. So anyone who is searching, these exercises are it!! If anything I would add some calf raises and hip strengthening. Thank you for putting this info on the internet!! 😊

[Monheganer]

Very helpful. Some of these started off as very difficult but after a few days I can do them all and my knee is improving nicely.

[Mylifejourney]

Thank you so much for this! I just found out I fully tore my ACL and will need surgery so these will be so helpful until I can get surgery! 💞

[GaddySwoop]

This is my 2nd time tearing my Acl. You and kneesovertoes guy have helped me exponentially! Thanks Doc!

[shelbyrlff]

I just got my ACL reconstructed last week and this video was an absolute game changer on regaining mobility prior to surgery. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, this made an impact on my health and optimism for recovery.

[Wals]

Great video, thank you. Wishing everyone luck with your injury recovery

[anonyme]

I really love your video they’ve been helping me so much I just found out I hve torn ligament so I did your exercises omg they help me out a lot thank you 🙏

[jjean]

These have really helped me get back some strength and mobility prior to surgery. Thank you! It feels good to see the progress.

[haroldkreye]

Thanks for producing such a quick, helpful video. I experienced immediate pain relief.

[AbdurRahim-ggxd]

Already I am ACL tear operation. After
IMPRESSION.
1. Post operative status shows- ACL tear.
2. Anterior horn of lateral and posterior horn of medial meniscal injury.
3. Mild joint effusion.