Training with a torn ACL

BJJ=Over. Sorry guy

I went through physical therapy both before and after the surgery. You'll want to get your leg as strong as possible before hand because after the surgery it is going to shrink into a twig.

As far as rolling goes, I'm not sure.

"(thanks to Canada's wonderfull "free" health care)"



Its funny. American liberals INSIST that free health care is fantastic. But it eliminated prompt care for people who could afford to pay for things when they need them.

Best advice:  Follow whatever your orthopod OR sports medicine doc says.

But...

When I did my ACL, my ortho said that many guys partially, or even fully, tear their ACL but continue to be very active (even in stop and pivot sports like tennis, basketball, soccer) until much later.  This being said, you may very well end up having a more substantial knee injury involving more cartilage, ligaments, etc if you really push it. 

If you have access to a sports phsical therapist, get his or her advice on strength and stability excercises you can do with this injury.  That way, you'll be strong going in to the surgery and diminish your recovery time.   I can imagine you can still do a lot of rep work and maybe even minimal sparring with trusted partners. 

Stop training right now. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. Otherwise you are fucked.

Get good physio, go to a regular weight lifting gym, spend the money on a personal trainer.

6 weeks after your operation, pay for some private lessons with your instructor. Then start with drills only and roll lightly with someone who is at least a Blue Belt for the first few months back. Park your ego and let the guy move you around. Dont roll with anyone who is in prep for competition until you are back for several months, maybe 6 months back.

And you could stop whining about free health care and shell out the $50,000 for the operation yourself. Trust me that if your life was actually in danger, you would get prompt medical assistance. A torn ACL is not life threatening and you are going to have to wait. Too bad.

I played rugby with no ACL, while waiting for my surgery. It can be done but you'll need to follow an extensive physio program to do so.

You should get a good physio program for your knee anyways as you want your knee as strong as possible before surgery.

Goodluck, it's been a year and a bit for me and I'm back playing rugby at a high level; just as I was before the surgery.

PT is key even before surgery, it will make the rehab after surgery so much easier. Trust me on this one. I have had three major knee surgeries and learned this the hard way.

The stronger your muscles are going into the surgery the easier it is to get them back after the surgery

I just had my ACL repaired after tearing it in 2003 (I have my suspicions that the other one was torn at the same time, I will find out for sure next month).

DEFINITELY train the HELL out of your legs. My trainer got some bad advice when he was told that there was nothing he could do until the surgery date. Because he did not train his legs beforehand, his recovery time was much longer. I was not similarly misinformed, and I am recovering ahead of schedule. Pay particular attention to your hamstrings when you train.

As for the free healthcare system in Canada, we do have the option of going private--at least, we do here in British Columbia. I did have to wait for nearly a year to get my surgery, but if I had opted to pay for it myself as my trainer did, I could have gotten in in roughly a month.

The real problem is that when you go for the "free" option, you are really rolling the dice as far as the quality of the medical professional who is assigned to you. Many times, the doctors who treat government subsidized patients are apathetic, arrogant, and in some cases outright incompetent. When I had eye surgery, it was painfully apparent from the word go that the doctor really did not give a crap about anything I said, and I believe to this day that a better job could have been done. I believe that I was much luckier with the doctor who did my ACL surgery as he so far has seemed extremely capable and conscientious, but I lost the dice roll with my physio. She arbitrarily decided, perhaps because I am an athlete, to accelerate my rehab program to the point that I was doing exercises on day 10 that I should not have been doing until at least the second month. As a result, I now have a torn hamstring to rehab as well, and I am now going to go private, pay for the physio myself, and ensure that I get somebody who is qualified and who gives a shit.

I've had a completely torn ACL since 1991. Trained muay thai, got my black belt in BJJ...it can be done.

I played division III soccer with a completely torn ACL (which occurred in 7th grade). It was only after college that I found out that it was completely torn. (chalk one up to having a nephrologist as a father who told me it was probably just a sprain) This was only possible because the muscles around that knee had strengthened to provide the extra stability. Without an ACL you are at increased risk of causing cartilage damage which is not repairable.

Definitely work on the physical therapy as recommended by your doctor, but I would hold off on the jiu jitsu.

DO NOT practice BJJ before the knee is repaired, or you risk doing further serious damage to your knee. Also, your knee can bend in ways without an ACL that are extremely painful (I have torn both of mine). You can recover pretty close to 100% from ligament damage, but torn cartilage is largely just going to be removed and will not grow back.

Rehab like hell after the surgery, especially as far as getting your flexion and extension back into the joint.

I've been missing my ACL for about 10 years now. I sprain my knee more easily now. I don't do much clinch or takedown training. Other than that everything feels good and solid. I'm considdering having the surgery this fall though. I actually have a date scheduled and am deciding whether or not to go through with it. The injury is different for different people. Some people never have the surgery and continue to do competitive sports, even at a high level. Some people need the surgery to just walk OK. If you aren't sure the best thing you can do is wait and see how your knee holds up.

Also, the doctor you get makes a HUGE difference. I can't stress this enough. Not sure what your options are where you live, but the doctor is extremely important.

"Its funny. American liberals INSIST that free health care is fantastic. But it eliminated prompt care for people who could afford to pay for things when they need them."

Way to be ignorant about the health care situation. First off, you can pay for private care if you want. Second, how much do you think that ACL surgery is going to run Rapeaged? Think most "pro" fighters can swing that with what they're making? What about amateur fighters? DOT DOT DOT

XP-Magus

"If i had the option to pay to get it done i would be going to the bank to get a loan. Sadly that's not possible here."



"Way to be ignorant about the health care situation. First off, you can pay for private care if you want. "



Many people dont have that option where they live. Its ILLEGAL to pay for prompt care.

My trainer paid just over five grand for his ACL surgery.

I've had 2 surgeries.

U need the surgery and rehab b4 u roll again.

Our sport requires to much lateral movement (but then again, what activity doesn't).

Good luck, man.

U'll be back in 9 months.

I don't know where you're getting your information from HELWIG, but I'm more then interested to see any facts you could provide me. I mean that with no contempt or insult. I'm always interested in learning.

The below quote expresses the fact that health insurance provided by the state/country isn't the 100% best solution for everyone. It also emphasizes my point that usually you can pay for different care if so choose(or can afford it).

"In most developed health systems in the world, 15 percent to 20 percent of the population buys medical services outside of the system of care run by the government. They do it through supplemental insurance, or they buy services out of pocket"