READ THIS BEFORE YOU GET SURGERY
Anyone who’s been active in sports probably knows someone who has injured their ACL or has experienced the injury themselves. According to Beaumont Health, there are over 100,000 ACL ruptures per year in the United States alone, and that’s on the low end of most estimates. It’s no coincidence that one of the most important ligaments for leg stability is also one of the most commonly injured when playing sports.
analyzed the post-treatment outcomes of 118 young adults who had experienced an ACL tear. There were 59 participants who received ACL surgery within the first four to six weeks after their injury, followed by a physical therapy regimen. Thirty participants received physical therapy first, followed by surgery two to 56 months later. Twenty-nine participants received only physical therapy.
An ACL injury, beyond being incredibly painful, can put a damper on all kinds of physical activities requiring stable knees. It’s unlikely that the injury will heal without proper treatment, so it’s best to address the problem early on. Most regular doctors, upon seeing a torn or ruptured ACL, fall into old ways of thinking and immediately recommend surgery as the only treatment option. But recent research shows that patients who delay surgery in favor of physical therapy may end up with better long- term results.
In general, the findings showed that patients who delayed their surgery, and those who underwent physical therapy treatment alone, fared measurably better than patients who immediately went under the knife. Though such research is still in early stages, and this particular study worked with a relatively small sample size, it’s evident that doctors’ tendency to suggest immediate surgery to every ACL patient needs to be more closely examined. Most patients with a damaged ACL should, at the very least, turn to physical therapy first before resorting to more drastic measures.
In a study published last May in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers
Have a LAUGH
Christmas Star C OO K I E S
INGREDIENTS
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2½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
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½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
5 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 2. In a small bowl, mix coconut oil, agave, and vanilla. 3. Mix wet ingredients into dry. 4. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until ¼ inch thick. 5. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 6. Remove top piece of parchment paper and dust dough with almond flour. 7. Cut out cookies with a small star cutter. 8. Using a metal spatula, place stars on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 9. Bake at 350 F until edges are lightly browned, 5–8 minutes.
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