I've torn my ACL....what now?

Whether you get surgery or not, an important thing to understand is that there is no quick fix after an ACL injury. If you plan to return to your previous level of activity the rehabilitation process can be long and difficult but is imperative to minimise chance of re-injury. 
Step 1: Get a plan. Navigating the lengthy rehabilitation process can be quite a daunting prospect so getting a solid plan written up is the first thing you need to do. Your physio will happily explain this process to you in detail.
Step 2: Optimise pain and swelling early. This might involve talking to your GP about appropriate painkillers or anti-inflammatory’s to take, or using non-pharmacological pain and swelling management such as ice, compression, elevation or combine all 3 using a device such as the GameReady. Horizon has use of 2 GameReady devices for this purpose. 
Step 3: STICK TO YOUR PROGRAM. This might sound obvious but ACL rehabilitation involves a lot of hard work and consistency is key. At Horizon we will treat you like an elite athlete and use everything at our disposal to optimise your recovery but ultimately it comes down to you being able to follow your program effectively. 
If you want more details about this process drop into Horizon and grab an ACL booklet that highlights what to expect throughout the rehabilitation or book in to see one of our friendly and talented physiotherapists.