Knee injuries can be hard to determine because they are often accompanied by normal behavior such as your knee buckling on occasion, inflammation, and some pain. However, if you were recently participating in a sport or activity that causes a lot of physical strain and you think you may have torn your ACL, it’s important to understand what sorts of distinct signs to look for.
Popping
One of the biggest indications that you tore your ACL is a popping or snapping sound that emanated from your knee when the initial injury took place. This is one of the largest indicators that you did in fact tear your ACL and you should receive medical attention as soon as possible. Make sure to relay to your doctor the exact sort of sound you heard from your knee.
Pain
When it comes down to it, there are two types of pain: The kind you can live with— like some back pain or headaches— and the kind of pain that is unbearable. If you notice that your knee is hurting and you are suffering from an excruciating amount of pain after a specific incident. To gauge just how bad the injury really is, see how much pressure you can put on your knee when walking and also check to see if any sort of stretching helps to ease any pain or tension. If you can’t find any sort of relief, then you may have torn your ACL and it’s worth checking out.
Swelling
Swelling on or around your knee is a sure indication that you have suffered from some type of injury, but it’s not necessarily indication that you tore your ACL. However, if the swelling is really dominant and ice and elevation don’t seem to calm it down, then your injury might be more severe than a simply knee strain.
Determining whether or not you tore your ACL really requires the examination of an expert. However, if you exhibit these three signs then you may need to see an orthopaedic specialist today.
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