Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body by MMA Sports Rehab
THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY NEWSLETTER
A DEEP DIVE INTO ACL INJURIES
Athletes typically injure their ACL during sudden pivot or cutting movements, twisting the knee too far and causing the ACL to tear, either partially or completely. The following are signs that you may have suffered an ACL injury: • Pain on the outside and back of the knee • Significant swelling • Loss of motion • Inability to put weight on your leg FIRST STEPS: WHAT DO I DO WHEN I EXPERIENCE AN ACL INJURY? If you suspect you’ve torn your ACL, it’s essential to perform first aid immediately after the injury: • Rest and protect your injured knee. Don’t put weight on it. • Ice the affected knee to help decrease pain and inflammation. • Compress the affected knee with a bandage to reduce swelling. • Keep your knee elevated.
What They Are and How Sports Medicine Can Help You’re racing across the field and quickly pivot to the left to avoid a collision with a player from an opposing team. But, at that moment, you hear a loud pop. Pain erupts in your knee, and you can no longer put weight on it. You’ve just suffered an ACL injury, one of the more common sports injuries– particularly for those playing football, basketball, or soccer. These can be major injuries that require immediate medical attention. Fortunately, [site-name] offers same-day urgent care to help assess and diagnose sports injuries. We’ll provide any immediate treatment and let you know what your next steps need to be–in the case of an ACL injury, this is often surgery and then rehabilitation. Today, we want to do a deep dive into ACL injuries: what they are, why they happen, and how we can set you on the road to recovery. And if you need any in-depth guidance, don’t hesitate to give us a call! WHAT EXACTLY IS AN ACL INJURY? The ACL is one of four ligaments that make up your knee joint. It’s located inside the joint and crosses over another ligament, the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament). The ACL stabilizes the knee and prevents you from rotating the joint too far.
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Dr. Ujjwal’s Quick Tips to Help Prevent ACL Injuries
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Next, you should visit our same-day urgent care clinic, as we offer a faster and more personalized approach than an emergency room. There, we can confirm the exact nature of your injury. Our in-house X-ray service can rule out certain injuries, such as a bone fracture, and we can order additional testing to confirm a torn ACL. We can also get you situated with braces or crutches to help protect your knee in the early days of your injury. NEXT STEPS: HOW DO I TREAT AN ACL INJURY? There are two main ways to treat ACL injuries: • Conservative treatment involves extensive rehabilitation with a physical therapist, who will guide you through targeted exercises to improve the strength and mobility of your knee joint. • Surgical treatment involves undergoing an ACL reconstruction, a procedure in which a surgeon removes the damaged ligament and grafts a new one crafted out of ligament tissue from elsewhere in your body. The right treatment option for you will vary based on your injury’s severity and specific recovery goals. That said, surgery will likely be your best option if you’re an athlete whose sport requires a great deal of pivoting. In either case, we can refer you to a physical therapist and/or an orthopedic surgeon to ensure you get the best treatment for your needs. Furthermore, it’s important to understand that ACL injuries take a long time to fully rehabilitate, no matter your choice. While our team won’t guide you through the rehabilitation, we’ll provide additional support throughout the process. How Can I Prevent an ACL Injury? Taking the necessary steps to prevent an ACL injury is incredibly important, especially for athletes. Suffering one ACL tear increases the likelihood you’ll suffer another. It’s crucial that you get an annual sports physical to ensure you’re in the right condition to play your sport. Our sports physicals go into far more depth than a typical doctor’s appointment, including evaluating your musculoskeletal system for potential issues. If we notice anything, we can refer you to a sports performance specialist to address it! Whether you’ve just suffered an injury on the playing field or need to come in for your next sports physical, [site-name] is here to help. Call us today to get started.
ACL injuries can be a real game-changer—and not in a good way. The good news? Many ACL injuries can be prevented with the right training and habits. Here are my top tips to help you stay strong and stay in the game. Build Balanced Strength Strong quads are great, but don’t forget your glutes, hamstrings, and core. Balanced strength helps protect your knees during cutting, jumping, and landing.
Learn to Jump & Land the Right Way Many ACL injuries happen without contact. Focus on: • Soft landings • Knees staying in line (no collapsing inward!) • Using your hips, not just your knees
Good mechanics matter.
Train How You Cut & Change Direction Sports demand quick stops and sharp turns. Practicing safe cutting, deceleration, and balance helps reduce stress on the ACL. Respect Fatigue Injuries often happen when athletes are tired. Proper rest, recovery, and smart training go a long way in keeping you healthy. Start Prevention Early Young athletes—especially growing teens—benefit hugely from learning good movement early. Prevention is always easier than rehab. Final Word from Dr. Ujjwal ACL injuries aren’t just bad luck. With the right strength, movement training, and guidance, you can lower your risk and improve performance at the same time. Have questions or want to learn more about injury prevention? Our team is always happy to help.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! CALL US TODAY 703-289-0388
Stay active. Stay strong. Stay healthy.
— Dr. Ujjwal MMA & Sports Rehab
Virginia is a Direct Access state, you do not need a referral to see PT, just call us for a consultation. We can help you!
Clinic News
Meet Fiona: “Hello, my name is Fiona McIntyre and I am a Student Physical Therapist at the George Washington University. I am very excited to start my first clinical experience at MSR and get some hands-on experience! Growing up, I was a competitive swimmer and lived a very active lifestyle. I went to the University of Pittsburgh in undergrad for Exercise Science and helped teach pilates for the university. I am very excited to help out in the clinic and transfer my school skills to real life!”
We want to congratulate our very own superstar Dr. Bri whose work with combat athletes in rehab has been published on Nationally acclaimed magazine from APTA (American Physical Therapy Association). It is an amazing feat for any PT to have her work and name associated nationally along National Clinical Leaders. We are so proud of her !! Keep shining!!!
We are Growing !!! Meet Dr. Peter: Dr. Peter Zatezalo is a highly skilled sports and orthopedic physical therapist who brings both expertise and genuine care to every patient he works with. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Wheeling Jesuit University in 2011 and has since dedicated his career to helping people move better, feel stronger, and return to the activities they love.
Dr. Ujjwal was invited to speak at George Washington university for Clinical Instructor Discussion Panel. He had lot of fun communicating with fellow DPT students (our future leaders) and other clinicians. Clinical experience and expectation were discussed throughly. He had an amazing time !
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Patient Testimonial
Monthly Tip
Everyone knows that regular exercise is good for the body. But exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood. And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better. Exercise and depression. Maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent you from relapsing. It promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression. Exercise and anxiety. Anything that gets you moving can help, but you’ll get a bigger benefit if you pay attention instead of zoning out. By adding this mindfulness element— really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise—you’ll not only improve your physical condition faster, but you may also be able to interrupt the flow of constant worries running through your head. Exercise and ADHD. Exercising regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the symptoms of ADHD and improve concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention. Exercise and PTSD and trauma. Evidence suggests that by really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise, you can actually help your nervous system become “unstuck” and begin to move out of the immobilization stress response that characterizes PTSD or trauma. Instead of thinking about other things, pay close attention to the physical sensations in your joints and muscles, even your insides as your body moves. Exercises that involve cross movement and that engage both arms and legs—such as walking (especially in sand), running, swimming, weight training, or dancing—are some of your best choices.
5-Star Review on Google I want to leave this review for people that love strength training and running. I went to MMA and Sports Rehab with Dr Bryce and he was excellent. He addressed all my concerns and followed my progress step by step. He gave me all the tools to get rid of a discomfort in my shoulder and get back to running without Achilles pain. I got a lot better within a few sessions and I finish my PT program in about 3 months. -Vanessa Y.
Start Feeling Better Now Call Today 703-289-0388 1033 S. Edgewood Street
Arlington, VA 22204 TEL: (703) 289-0388
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