Active Community: Message List - acl injury.anyone been there?

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

IamNotMyEgo — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:57:27 GMT

Unfortunately yes, I have been there. All of the negativity an discouragement is only usual. Like you, I was also a soccer player but I was just out of high school when i tore my acl and Meniscus. The problem with that injury is that it takes so freaking long to heal! So as months go by and your still feeling weak let me tell you that it's only normal. The stupid therapy sessions that seem to never end, the constant reminder that your injured due to the extreme halt in your soccer career. It's all very discouraging. Let me give you some advise and some things I wish I would of done differently.

Although the Physical therapy sucks and its probably a half hour drive everytime. Stick with it! I ended up giving up on mine after 3-4months into it. I just couldn't take it anymore(or so I thought) and it eventually caught up with me. My recovery took much longer and I'm still not and never will be 100%. It led me to becoming a couch potato and I regret my desicion even 2-3 years later. Hang in there! You still got half your varsity career left and you'll shine the most your Junior an Senior years anyways. The annoyance is much better then the regret. Trust me.

Never play sports again? Sounds familiar. Well let me just tell you right now, if you want to play sports again you will, unless you let the injury get to you mentally. I've finally picked my butt up and started playing again and it feels good, but I waited too long and lost the edge I used to have. Don't wait! get back in there a soon as your therapist says your ready to go! Go to an empty field and get your shot back and practice you touch. You'll be surprised on how much of your skills you DIDN"T lose. It took me a solid 2 years to get back on the field and even then I still had a good shot or two in me.

The guy or girl who goes into a 50/50 ball the weakest will always come out with an injury if there is one. So if you let your injury get to your head and you start playing conservatively you WILL get hurt . If you go in playing and have the same aggression and hunger as you did before you'll be fine. Keep in mind this injury is sort of like a freak accident for soccer players.Your knee had to be planted at the perfect time, and it had to be knocked in such a way that would provoke this injury. You became a statistic not by choice, but by luck of the draw. lightning never strikes in the same place twice, Unless your holding a ten foot steal poll. Go in there with the same heart you left the game with, and prove not only to your older teammates but to yourself that a bad dealt hand wont keep you from playing the next round. Your best High school soccer years are to come, so buckle up and do what you have to do. It will be as satisfying when your done as your first Varsity start.

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

soccermomII — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:39:15 GMT

My daughter was 15 when she tore hers it was a nightmare first she was misdiagnosed and then the second doctor wanted to wait for the growth plates to set. Big mistake. She played for 1 whole year with the kneebrace but she was only 50% and in a lot of pain. Finally decided to look for a third opinion. This new doctor (young and he's specialty is ACL pediatric recostruction) he told us that it is possible to do the surgery around the growth plates. We did it and my daugfhter is now on her 4th month after surgery and counting the days when she'll be able to get back. She is already running (light jog) but she is happy she is finally touching the ball, for that same reason she doesnt want to loose her foot skills, so even when she is sitting down watching TV shell have the ball between her feet. Your son is young so my opinion is you should get it over with now before he starts getting serious about college. Good luck and keep me posted.

SoccermomII

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

MarkHall33 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:42:41 GMT

I had a similiar accident before about 3years backs. I had to lay off footie for nearly 3 months.One piece of advice though, if you are not feeling 100%, don't push it. When I had mine, I thought I felt better and went back to play for about 10 minutes, I felt the pain again and that set back probably caused me to take longer to completely heal. Take your time, I bet you will be back to your best again in no time. Patience is key....

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

clarizic — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:08:23 GMT

Hi there, i am 35 years old and play in a recreational league and a competitive leage....i tore my ACL and Medial Meniscus on June 6, 2008....did treatment on the injury for 3 months straight, twice a week....September i stopped my treatment, met with an orthopedic surgeon, did my MRI in October and surgery Dec. 1, 2008...i am now just over 3 months into my rehab, my goal is to be back playing in june for my outdoor season...I miss it sooooo much...by the time i get back to playing it will be exactly a year.....IT SUCKS....it's a long process but one thing i can say, with the rehab program i am on, i will be fitter then i've ever been, and my legs will be stronger then they've ever been. I go to rehab three times a week, 3 hours each time i am there, and i feel AWESOME....pain, yes, still there, weakness, yes still there, but i think i;m doing pretty **** good for three months!!! All i can say is if you are determined to get better, and if you are consistent with your rehab program and work hard, you will get better, and you will be stronger and fitter then ever before....i know it's frusterating...there are days that i say, i just can't take it anymore, this really SUCKS!!! But on those days, i just think about my teams, the tournaments i've played in, the wonderful rush i feel when i get onto that field and believe that SOON i will be back to playing the sport that i LOVE....my passion.... Good luck to all you out there recovering from reconstructive ACL surgery!!! CHEERS!

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

TheReasons — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:39:10 GMT

Don't give up. My husband tore his acl a couple of years ago playing soccer. He opted not to have surgery and although he is not playing soccer anymore, he is playing squash most days of the week, quite well without any brace. He is 44 so fitness played a key reason in his choice not to try and play soccer again.

Good luck and keep at it, you have a lot of years ahead of you.

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

95_Coach — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:17:27 GMT

Hello,

My name is Steve. I coach two girls competitive teams in Anchorage, Alaska and I know exactly what you are going through and how you feel.

First let me say, I am sorry that you are having to go through this however, you are not alone. ACL tears and reconstruction are extremely common, especially in female players.

My oldest daughter tore her ACL and damaged her meniscus when she was 14 years old while at the Far West Region IV tournament. This was a extremely big blow to her because she was such a competitive player with dreams of playing ball in college etc. I have also been through the torn ACL process myself. When I was in my early thirties and still very much competitive playing basketball I tore all four of my ligaments, destroyed my meniscus, and broke part of my femur. It was extremely bad and I felt like my competitive days were over.

When I damaged my knee so badly I started researching rehab, Dr.s, and everything I could to help me learn exactly what my options were. Fortunately, I found a Dr. located in Vail, Colorado named Dr. Richard Steadman of the Steadman Hawkins Clinic. He is the leading orthopedic surgeon in the world for knees and he was my, as well as my daughters, savior. I can't even begin to describe how amazing this man is and what he did for the two of us. When all the other Dr.s I talked to told me that I would never walk properly, run again properly etc., Dr. Steadman was nothing short of positive, supportive, and there for me.

Long story short, if you desire to be back at the level of play you were at, you can be! Just focus on the feeling that you had playing and enjoying the game the way you did before your injury. Soccer skills are a lot like riding a bike. They are embedded in your mind. Fitness will be your biggest issue and as long as you are willing to put in the time and effort you can always have that back! Don't allow yourself to get down no matter what! Your mind is more powerful than anything else and if you keep it strong it will be there for you whenever you need it!

My daughter, by the way, has fully recovered and is playing soccer again. She is every bit as skilled as she ever was maybe better in a lot of ways and she is loving the game more than ever. She still wears her brace and it doesn't affect the way she plays at all!

YOU CAN DO IT! HANG IN THERE!

BEST REGARDS,

Coach Steve from Alaska

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

SoccerCoachTony — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:39:18 GMT

I've been through the ACL replacement surgery myself, replacing the blown ligament with a portion of my patellar tendon. I would say that the most practical advice that I can give is to follow your rehabilitation schedule to the letter and not try to push yourself. Do not run the risk of re-injuring yourself by taking on more than your knee can handle. More than likely you will be able to play again at 100% or close to it. I have a good friend who tore up his ACL five years ago (at age 35) who is now in the best shape of his life. He not only was able to return to soccer but is now a competitive triathlete as well. Don't lose hope -- hang in there.

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

WCsBane — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:18:23 GMT

I tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus in the last tournament of my last season with my club team. I was 18 years old and hoping to play in college. That pretty much ended that. A friend of mine had torn her ACL a few years back, and I remembered watching her and noting how hesitant she was to go in hard for the ball. I was afraid I would end up like that, which would ruin me as a player, because I had never been afraid to play physical and challenge for 50/50s. I needn't have worried. After 6 months I got back into running and stuff, and after about 8 months I started playing soccer again. Just pickup with friends at first--I was a little frustrated with how rusty my skills were, but it's like riding a bike: after some early frustration, your body remembers what it's supposed to do. It's been about 14 months since I had surgery and now I'm a girl playing a lot of indoor in the adult co-ed league taking on men twice my age. Once I get into the game, I don't even think about my knee anymore; my leg is as strong as it was before and I have better things to worry about than getting hurt again. My coach had always told my team that it's when you let up at the last second when challenging for the ball that gets you hurt. You aren't going to get hurt if you're 100% confident that you're the better player and you play hard and prove it. I wore a brace for about the first month back, when I was playing pickup and indoor, but once I forgot to bring my brace to an indoor game and thus played without it. I didn't even notice a difference. Really, it's just a matter or confidence. If you don't play hard, you're going to get run over and that's when you're going to get hurt. That's always how it is, even if you're the healthiest player out there who has never been injured. You have to play strong and don't let anyone push you around.

I know I'm responding well after your original post, so you may very well be playing like you used to at this point, but I just thought I'd put in my $.02 since I know how frustrating it is to come back from ACL reconstruction. Just know that you can ALWAYS come back. It won't be easy, but if you love the game, it will be worth it.

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

TeamAdmints — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:02:04 GMT

I too have had acl/meniscus surgery. It was almost 2 years ago now. I had originally ripped my ACL but did not want the surgery and when I completely tore it (absent ACL) I opted to be a man and go for the surgery. I am 31 yrs old and going strong. Aside from running the 20in24 this coming weekend, I also play volleyball, roller hockey in a league, mountain bike, rock climb and look for more challenges every day. I am not in top condition, however I do push myself to succeed. At 16, it is not the end of the world. Trust yourself and your body when pushing the envelop and be sure to use your brace until you feel it is safe enough not to. To this day I still get slight inflamation when I am done my activities. I still use my brace during hockey only and will probably always use it. Be sure to do all of the exercises your physical trainer has given you so that you will be just as strong if not stronger when you return to sports. I wish you all the best and please be sure to give it your all. Success is a great feeling and overcoming this injury will be a great building block for your successful life!

P.S. - Be the smart person and wear your brace in your games and practice as long as it is allowed. If your coach will not let you, well that is something to take up with your school. I have a Donjoy brace and swear by it. Do not give up and do not let anyone tell you that it is a career ender - Look at players in the NHL who finish a season with a torn ACL or Donovan McNabb with the Philadelphia Eagles, although he is not that great now, he still recovered in a year and was playing at the NFL Level.

Re: acl injury.anyone been there?

BlakeC12 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:40:12 GMT

That is definitely an unfortunate situation to be in. I first tore mine when I was 21. There was a kid is rehab with me who was 11 and had the same surgery. Within a month he was running around and playing basketball with his friends. They said because he was younger he recovered a lot faster then what an adult would, naturally. I would try and get surgery before he is too late into his teens where it would affect his development into a great soccer player. I would think the sooner the better. But listen to what ever the doctors say. Obviously they know the best thing for him. Get various opinions. I have several friends who tore their ACL around the same time as myself and what their doctor told them and what my doctor told me were extremely different stories. I used Dr. Westphal out of Lancaster, PA for my last surgery. I have nothing but great things to say about him. Anyone who ever has used him will say the same thing.