Concerned My ACL Rehab Isn’t Aggressive Enough at 5 Weeks Post-Op
Hi everyone. I’m currently 5 weeks post-op from ACL reconstruction (BTB autograft), medial and lateral meniscus repairs, and IT band lateral tenodesis in my right knee.
I’ve been seeing a lot of posts online saying the first 2-3 months of ACL rehab are supposed to be very painful, especially during PT, but that honestly hasn’t been my experience so far. The only exercises that cause MINOR knee pain are goblet squats (while holding onto a bar for support) and step ups. Other than that, I’m mainly doing straight leg raises, stretches for hamstrings/calves/quads, glute bridges, clamshells, and unweighted stationary bike work. My swelling hasn’t subsided at all.
My PT sessions also feel pretty minimal compared to what I see online. My PT mostly has me go through exercises independently while she tends to other patients. There’s no massage/manual therapy, knee manipulation, scraping, etc., which I see a lot of ACL patients mention on social media. At this point, I honestly feel like I could do almost everything at home besides the stationary bike.
Functionally, I can walk without much of a limp now. Going downstairs is still pretty painful and difficult, while going upstairs is somewhat easier but still not comfortable.
For people who went through this stage around weeks 5-6, does this sound normal? Did your rehab become much harder later on, or should I be concerned that my PT is too conservative/passive? I want to get back to basketball shape as soon as medically possible, and my PT knows this, which is why I’m concerned.