Episode 22: ACL Injuries: The Journey From Diagnosis To Return To Sport Part 1

Today we welcome Sports Physio and ACL guru Mick Hughes to the podcast to talk about the "diagnosis that devastates" - Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and  Ruptures.   Nearly everyone who plays sport knows what an ACL is, and also knows that if you receive this ACL Rupture diagnosis, you'll likely miss 12 months of sport, and need surgical reconstruction to fix it. But that's what used to happen, and in this episode Mick will separate fact from fiction, and talk us through so many aspects of the ACL journey. Mick covers topics such as: - why the ACL is so critical - why the rates of ACL injury and reconstruction are increasing so rapidly - what makes females so at risk of ACL injuries - the reason young kids are also suffering more and more ACL injuries. - how we diagnose ACL ruptures and why "no pain" after injury isn't necessarily a great sign. Mick discusses all this and more in the first part of our ACL podcast, and then in the next episode, goes on to talk about: - why a reconstruction is not necessarily a "given" anymore. - how we decide who gets an operation and who doesn't. - why delaying your decision on surgery may be the best decision you make. - the critical importance of the ACL rehabilitation process and why strength must form the foundation of your rehab program. - how we can make a massive difference in preventing ACL injuries - the essential factor that guides our rehabilitation and progressions (and it's not the factor of time).   Take a listen to this first episode to get a great understanding of the ACL and why it's such a common injury in sport, and then in Episode 2 we'll get into the "nuts and bolts" of how you get yourself back to sport.