It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals and deemed accurate on the date of review. This information was published by Bupa's Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing 2021 Personal communication, Damian McClelland, Clinical Director for Musculoskeletal Services, Bupa, 12 October 2020.Brukner & Khan’s Clinical Sports Medicine: Injuries, Volume 1, 5th ed. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Ask your doctor about the pros and cons of surgery, and how it might help you. And you’ll need to be prepared to undergo an intense and lengthy period of physiotherapy after your operation.
It usually takes between six and 12 months to return to full activity after surgery. It’s usually best to wait at least a week or two, to allow the swelling in your knee to go down first. Either way, your doctor probably won’t recommend that you have surgery right away after your injury. You may prefer to give rehabilitation with physiotherapy a try first before you have an operation.
Make sure you do the exercises as this is an important part of your recovery. The physiotherapy programme will be designed to give you the best chance of returning to your usual activity. Your physiotherapist will assess your knee and then plan a programme of rehabilitation exercises to suit your individual needs. Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine, and if you have questions ask your pharmacist or GP for advice. As well as easing your pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen may help to reduce inflammation and swelling. Your doctor may be able to prescribe you stronger painkillers if your knee is really painful. You can take over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, if you’re in pain. There are different treatments that your doctor or physiotherapist may suggest, and a lot that you can do yourself to help you recover. You may see an orthopaedic surgeon (a doctor who specialises in bone surgery) or a sports medicine professional, such as a sports doctor or physiotherapist. Further treatments may include physiotherapy, medicines and occasionally, surgery. The initial treatment will be to control your pain and swelling using the POLICE and HARM self-help measures (see above). The treatment you’re offered for your ACL injury will depend on how severe the damage is and how active you normally are. They may then refer you to an acute knee clinic, which will organise any investigations and treatment you need. You’ll usually need to go to A&E with this kind of injury, where they’ll examine you and take some X-rays of your knee. Treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury