Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL Injury)

What You Need To an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury:

• A Cold Compression Brace
• An Inferno Wrap™ Infrared Therapy System
• Therapeutic Ultrasound (optional)

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the key ligament which bonds together the upper and lower parts of the leg at the knee. ACL injuries account for more than two-thirds of all knee injuries in skiers and are fairly common in other sports such as volleyball, basketball, and racket sports. To prevent ACL injury it is important to have strong quadriceps and hamstrings. A ruptured ACL is typically diagnosed by a doctor - an MRI exam is advisable, as this can also identify whether the meniscus (cartilage in the knee that provides cushioning) is damaged as well. If your meniscus is damaged, you should definitely avoid exercises that could aggravate this condition. There are occasions where surgery is not necessary, or not worth the potential for further damage, as the ACL is not always crucial for people that do not exercise heavily. As with all recommendations for surgery, it is usually advised to get a second opinion.

Surgery and Recovery

If you have chosen to have ACL reconstructive surgery, remember that proper post-surgery rehabilitation is very important, perhaps even more important than the surgery itself. Activities should set out to promote healing, increase flexibility in the knee and strengthen surrounding muscles. Your physical therapist will probably set up a "passive range of motion" programme, and put you in a hinged knee brace for a month or two to prevent hyperextension or hyperflexion in the knee. An important point for ACL patients to remember after surgery is that every effort must be made to increase range of motion and flexibility at the knee. Weakness in the knee can usually be eliminated by extra strengthening exercises, but increased stiffness can sometimes be permanent if not corrected by further surgery.

This is where our portable ultrasound unit can really help! Not only will ultrasound reduce the pain and inflammation in your knee, but will help increase the range of motion in your knees, reduce post operative scar tissue and increase flexibility in the surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments. Ask your physical therapist about ultrasound and if its right for your reconstructed ACL! As with all medical devices, make sure your physician is aware of any treatment plan you decide to take.

Therapeutic Products

Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy

You can help your body repair itself by speeding its natural healing process with Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy. During normal activities, the movement promotes blood flow through our body. Our body responds to the movement by sending oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the muscles, joints, tendons and other soft tissue in the body. When at rest, the blood flow to your tendons is greatly reduced. Unfortunately, when your tendon is injured it requires rest but it also needs the blood flow to promote the healing process. Since you can't work your tendon without danger of further injury, you need to stimulate the blood flow another way. Our innovative Inferno Wrap™ gives you the best Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy available. The Inferno Wrap™ creates energy waves that stimulate blood flow by penetrating through the outer layers of your body. The energy waves reach deep into your muscles, tendons and cartilage, reducing your pain as they heal the inner tissue.

An Inferno Wrap™ gives you unparalleled blood flow stimulation to your injured tendon. You simply won’t find a comparable product on the market. Other therapy products can not come close to offering the comfortable, contoured fit and targeted energy treatment an Inferno Wrap™ provides. You will experience a soothing, penetrating warmth deep in the tissue as it works to stimulate your blood flow, we guarantee it. Now you can reduce your pain and heal yourself with the comfortable, light weight Inferno Wrap™.

The Inferno Wrap™ provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.

When your tendon has healed somewhat and it comes time for more aggressive rehabilitation, stretching and activity, Blood Flow Stimultation Therapy warms the muscles in the injured area which increases range of motion and allows for a safer more thorough stretch.

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Ultrasound Therapy is also a great tool for pain prevention of tendonitis or healing a tendon tear, and having a portable ultrasound device at home can be a powerful and convenient treatment tool. If you have symptoms of tendonitis or are recovering from a tendon injury, using ultrasound on a regular basis before your activity or throughout the day will help relax your tendons and muscles, diminish pain and inflammation, soften scar tissue and contribute greatly to the healing of your injury.

Therapeutic Ultrasound heats and massages your soft tissue giving you three primary benefits. First, it increases blood flow in the treated area which speeds your body's natural healing process. Second, it reduces swelling and edema which are the main sources of pain. Third, ultrasound softens existing scar tissue and minimizes the build up of new scar tissue resulting in reduced pain while healing and greater flexibility once healing is complete.

Eucalyptus...
It's in our Gel!

Ultrasound can also be used to administer therapeutic medicines into the body. This is a process known as phonophoresis. Ultrasound with Phonophoresis is rapidly becoming more popular than Ultrasound Therapy alone.

Peppermint...
It's in our gel too!

Our MendMeShop Lavender Infusion Gel is the only topical therapeutic gel that is also a Phonophoretic Ultrasound Gel. It is made with natural medical ingredients including eucalyptus, peppermint, Bulgarian lavender and menthol. These effective ingredients have anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, decongestant, and circulatory stimulant properties. When applied topically and massaged into the skin, MendMeShop Lavender Infusion Gel relieves pain and speeds healing without any side-effects.

Cold Compression Therapy

Our cold compression wraps work by interrupting and slowing nerve and cell function in the area of your injured tendon. Once blood vessels are damaged they can no longer carry oxygenated blood to the damaged tissue and therefore cells begin to break-down. The deep cold provided by our cold compression wraps slows cell function thereby reducing cellular break-down. Furthermore, because the cold wraps serve to numb the nerves, the wraps also reduce pain!

Our Cold Compression Wraps are recommended as the top wrap by Leading Health Institutes like, Cleveland Clinic, several professional sports organizations, and countless medical professionals. That's why we sell them, because they are the best. We have noticed over time that our customers are so fond of our cold wraps that they are frequently coming back and ordering a second one - this way they can cool one while wearing the other. The wraps are becoming very popular with baseball and soccer trainers, and the wraps can be conveniently stored in a cooler for quick application on the field when needed.