UNDERSTANDING ACL INJURIES AND THE ROLE OF LASER THERAPY IN REHABILITATION
ACL injuries are both common and potentially devastating for athletes, often requiring lengthy rehabilitation and, in some cases, surgical intervention. High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) is emerging as a valuable tool in improving recovery outcomes, supporting tissue healing through Photobiomodulation (PBM) at the cellular level. Devices like LightForce ® Therapy enable this targeted, non-invasive treatment to enhance post-injury and post-surgical healing. But why is the ACL so prone to injury? The knee is inherently a stability joint. However, its function is heavily influenced by the mobility and control provided by the hip and ankle. If optimal movement patterns and range of motion are compromised in these adjacent joints, the knee often becomes excessively mobile to compensate. As athletic demands increase—during running, cutting, lunging, squatting, or jumping—the ACL is subjected to greater strain in maintaining knee stability. Over time, this load can exceed the ligament’s capacity, resulting in a tear. From a neuromuscular perspective, injury risk increases when the body struggles to decelerate force efficiently. Muscles are designed to function through a triphasic contraction cycle: concentric (shortening), isometric (stabilizing), and eccentric (lengthening). When neuromuscular control is impaired, particularly in the eccentric phase, muscles are unable to absorb force effectively. The body then shifts the burden to passive structures like ligaments, increasing injury risk when neural thresholds are exceeded.
Muscle groups commonly found to be weak or inhibited in individuals with ACL injuries include:
These deficiencies can compromise force distribution and joint control, making the athlete more susceptible to injury.
Rectus femoris
Gluteus maximus
KEY TAKEAWAY: ACL injuries are rarely isolated to the knee alone. A comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation strategy must include addressing neuromuscular imbalances, improving joint mechanics above and below the knee, and incorporating adjunct modalities like HILT to accelerate recovery and optimize outcomes.
Gluteus medius
Rectus abdominals
Oblique abdominals
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