TORN ACL Prevention - The Russians

I read the news from a poster about Chelsea Leonard's ACL tear in Decemeber. I don't know the girl, but I do know others who have torn ACL's, including my DD. The road back is the most unbelievable grind. Of all the parents and players and doctors we've talked to, and from our own first hand experience....it's a good 8 to 12 months. Post surgery running is 4 months. Post surgery limited transitional playing with a brace (or you better find another doctor) is 6 months. Maybe longer if you are a pitcher. 8 to 12 full recovery. One year and the brace comes off. The brace will not slow her down. My DD is running the fastest times she's ever run. The reason for the prolonged brace wearing is the knee, but also the hamstrings.

What people don't understand is that those new knee ligaments take a long time to heal. Much longer than you wish and pray for. The worst thing anyone can do is rush to get back and then have to go through a revision. If you have to have a revision you get to start over again. If you have a great surgeon, preferably a SPORTS MEDICINE surgeon (having a surgeon who is a former female athlete doesn't hurt either), and a good physical therapist (again...former athlete) really does go a long way in helping the recovery process. We had our DD's ACL done at DUKE SPORTS MEDICINE in Durham.

If there is a bright side to all this it is that you learn first hand about proper conditioning and leg muscles. This takes me back to the hamstrings and the knee brace. The hamstrings are what protect the knee's, and a woman's ligaments are thinner than a man's. So a female needs the extra support more than anything. Do some research on it and you'll see what I mean. What our surgeon told us is there is a playing level for hamstring strength, and an optimized level (the level at which time the knee brace comes off). There is a stress test that gives you the level, but you have to pay to have it done. That's up to you, but if your insurance covers it I'd get it done. We go back ever two months as long as DD plays just for peace of mind.

There are many drills that need to be done in rehab, but once your DD get's through all that she can begin to super strengthen the hamstrings by doing an exercise we call the Russian Knee Exercise (The Russians). Remember....hamstrings protect the knee's. Have your DD kneel down with her feet behind her so she is in a perfect 90% angle. From the knee's up she has to remain straight. Have one parent hold her legs firmly down. Once the legs are held firmly down have your DD start to lean forward as if to touch her nose to the floor. Do not let her upper body bend at the waste. Stay straight. DD leans forward to the point she can no longer hold it, then relaxes falling face first into a pile of pillows (hopefully). Try to do a set of 10. You never want to do these any more than three times a week (ever other day), and never the night before a game (soreness). It's important to push to the pain if there is any, but never through it. If DD is lucky she might make it 1/8 of the way down in the beginning. Once the set of 10 is complete (or whatever she can do) make sure to stretch the hams out. Have DD lay on her back and with one leg at a time locked stiff (peg leg), raise her foot as far as possible to her head. If you can make it that far fine, if half way ok, but you get the point. And when you stretch you do it slowly. She will feel it. My DD is at 4 months of Russians and she can almost go half way down. BTW..we do it on her bed instead of the floor. The physical therapist at Duke that showed us the exercise is a FORMER college Soccer player and could STILL go a 3/4 of the way down. Awesome hamstrings. If you are not sure check with a local physical therapist, or go see one at Duke yourself. I highly advise it. One last thing on the Russians is it is always the last thing you do. I usually help my DD do her's just before bed.

Hope this post helps folks understand that there are preventive conditioning measures other than speed and agility that can be taken to help our DD's, and the hamstring is one important muscle that is way overlooked, until you have to go through a torn ACL. Good Luck, and hope to see you out there!