My ACL Surgery Recovery Journey As a Physiotherapist

Andrew Ghaly (Physiotherapist at Kinetic Labs) shares his experience tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee while playing football, his prehab, undergoing reconstruction surgery and his exercise program and recovery journey to get back to playing sports.

[usmanjilani]

For everyone watching this who have this injury. I wish you all the very best and a speedy recovery. Just be positive, and you all got this.

[RealEyes]

3 days and 3 nights of pain without sleeping, 8 days in the hospital, 6 weeks in crutches, 5 months of kineto then 11 months of pause from football...after 3 years my knee is even stronger than before.

[simmonds]

Guys, this seems like an insanely fast recovery. Please don't push too quickly, as you injure yourself. This guy is a professional athlete.

[ItsDameTime]

For someone with 2 Acl injuries on both knees... Yeah im that unlucky I know.. But I can assure you will be back running and sprinting and jumping like nothing ever happened. Just always remember that every small rehab workout counts towards your recovery. Dont skip them. No matter how boring or small the actions of the workout are just do it trust me lol

[tinikacarrington]

I just had my ACL and Meniscus repair surgery yesterday. I woke up to use the bathroom and pop another pill for pain Management. During my surgery they performed a nerve block which assisted in a better recovery out of anesthesia. I'm begging to feel my leg again and it feels heavy. I have never been this restricted from everyday life. I am also an ex athlete who enjoy still being athletic at 45. I so needed this positive but truthful reinforcement and actually what to expect. Wishing everyone who reads this the best in their recovery.

[dimogeorgiev]

Mate, that looks like an insanely fast recovery. People take more time to recover from waxing their leg. Congrats on that!

[AkFlav]

This helped me a lot. I’m actually going for surgery tmrw. This vid gave me the confidence I needed

[alexmatthews]

Just had my second ACL surgery, 3 days into recovery and it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, never felt pain like it.

[susanripley]

I tore my acl over 15 years ago and had 1mm still attached. Have had it pop a couple times since and saw an ortho a few days back who told me "your acl is toast." Awesome. So, I'm facing this surgery at 52 and was terrified until I saw this. It did make me feel a little better about it. Thanks

[surges]

Honestly after seing stuff like this. It really makes you respect surgeons a lot more than I did previously.

[robertmccausland]

my daughter is an athlete. she is having this surgery next week. I will show her this video later this evening. thank you for such a great overview.

[EasyPhysiotherapy]

Your video was really helpful for me. Nobody could have explained the rehab journey better other than a Physiotherapist and an injured sportsman himself. I have over 13 years of experience in sports rehabilitation and I must say that your video is an eye opener for me. Thanks 👍😊

[sunny]

I'm 2 months post ACL and menisectomy and I am currently able to jog and can sit with my butt touching my But I also put in a lot of work with physio. Please take the physio seriously as the earlier you gain mobility the better.

[KoleFox]

I am 23 for comparable measures. I had ACL, meniscus and MCL surgery with a bruised knee cap 2 years ago. It was the worse pain i have ever experienced and i have a very high pain tolerance. Was peeing in a bottle for almost a week as i physically couldn’t take the pain of moving it in the slightest. I took physical therapy extremely serious and had a very good physician. After about a year i was at or very near what i was at prior to my ACL tear and even played basketball at pretty much at the same level maybe just a bit slowed. Fast forward to today 2 years later i just had ACL and Meniscus surgery on my other knee (yes they got both of mine sadly) from playing basketball again. I told my doctor and all my friends that will be the last time i pick up a basketball as it’s not worth going through this again. However i had surgery less then 12 hours ago and it is not nearly the same pain although i used the same surgeon because of how well my first ACL healed. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m used to the pain, know exactly what not to do and what to do, or if it’s just a case by case but i expected the worse pain imaginable like last time but i am already walking (on crutches) to the bathroom and as long as I’m taking my painkillers and icing it the pain isn’t really bad at all. I share my story to show that if i can do this TWICE anybody can. YOU can do this. Your brain is a powerful tool don’t let it physic you out. You are much more powerful then you believe. Good luck all !!

[K-rm]

This is without a doubt the most informative video I’ve seen, I’m a little behind with the progress but feels good watching your progress especially since you used hamstring graft like myself

[carmensims]

I have torn ACL right now and seeing everyone and him talk about exercising and the crazy range of motion they still have in their knee is crazy. I can’t even go into a 90° squat without my knee hurting for the next 15-20 minutes. Let alone EXERCISING omg. Y’all are so strong, I have no idea when I’ll be getting surgery on my ACL since I just had surgery about a month ago to try and correct foot drop.

[queenopurrrr]

I have my acl surgery coming up I’m just grateful to know I’ll definitely walk again without crutches will be my first surgery but you definitely eased my fears thank you for this video

[joaoraposo]

I've torn my ACL twice (once on each knee), and I just got to say that the recovery speed can very a LOT. Speaking from mine and several other ACL tears recoveries I got to know personally, this recovery was actually really fast and successful. This is to say that you should not base your recovery stages solely from this video, as that can lead you to frustration and potentially re-injure yourself.
My best advice is to always listen to your body and to focus on your own recovery, on your own specificities. Be disciplined and intentional in your recovery, and don't rush it! You got this 💪

[designguy]

I’m really glad I stumbled upon this video. As a PTA and athletic person I recently tore my ACL as well as medial/lateral meniscus. I’m scheduled for surgery in October and doing prehab exercises such as you did. It’s been very deflating to think my life will be on hold for next 6 to 10 months but your video and information made me feel a bit more hopeful that I’ll be back to sports and weightlifting if I keep pushing and keep my head up. Still frustrating but I know I’m not alone!

[nathanhealey-potter]

Good video mate, you hit the nail on the head with the first 3-4 days with a little regress on the 5th day. Start physio on day 6 but been flexing and extending straight after. I feel the difference in opinions to how you rest your operated limb is a game changer and the use of a cryo machine for pain and reduction of swelling is a must have