How to use the Recoup Cryosphere for a knee or ACL injury
Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries. Knees are made up of several different ligaments that help stabilize the knee joint. The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the key ligaments and also one of the most commonly injured ligaments. The ACL connects your thigh bone to your shinbone and is most commonly injured by sudden stops and changes in direction.
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How to use the Recoup Cryosphere for a knee or ACL injury
1. Freeze your Cryosphere for at least 2 hours for the full 6 hours of cold massage.
2. Sit with your knee relaxed in a way that would allow you to reach the inside and outside of your knee.
3. Hold your Cryosphere and gently roll the ice cold ball across your entire knee, hitting the inside and outside to include your ACL and MCL.
4. Apart from just the knee joint, make sure you hit the attaching ligaments and the muscles around the joint to reduce inflammation.
5. Massage deeper into the muscles and ligaments around your knee joint for up to 20 minutes.
6. Repeat, staying within the 20/20 rule of 20 minutes of icing and 20 minutes off
ACL and knee-strengthening Exercises
WALL SQUAT - Stand with your back against the wall and your feet hip-width apart. Slowly bend your knees and slide down the wall until you reach a full squat position with your knees at (or as close to) 90 degrees. Hold the squat at your lowest position for 5-10 seconds and in a controlled movement rise all the way up. Repeat 10-15x.
KNEE EXTENSION - Sit on a table with your legs hanging down. Place a rolled up towel underneath your knee and extend the knee slowly with the foot flexed until your leg is fully extended. Hold for 5 seconds and slowly lower back down. Repeat 10-15 times. As you get stronger and your knee injury recovers, you can level up to weighted quad extensions.
HAMSTRING CURLS - Lay on your back with shoes off on a hard surface or a mat that allows you to slide your heels in. In a controlled way, slide your heels in towards you until you end in a glute bridge. Hold at the top for 5 seconds and control out to your starting position. Repeat 5-10 times. As you get stronger and your knee injury recovers, you can incorporate weighted hamstring curls.
CALF RAISES - Go to a stair or step up at the gym and hold on to something sturdy. With your heels hanging off the edge of the step, slowly raise your heels to your tiptoes as high as you can. Lower down slowly. Repeat 10-15 times and as it gets easier, add weights.
SINGLE LEG STEP-UPS - Place one foot on a step or bench. Keeping your hips square, step up and slowly lower to tap your toe. Repeat 10-15 times for each leg and repeat 2-3 times. When this becomes easier add weights or advance to a leg press to keep strengthening your quads and stabilizing your knee.
Glossary of terms/Knee Injuries
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) runs diagonally down the front of the knee, providing stability to the knee joint.
The menisci are two rubbery wedges of cartilage between the thighbone and shinbone. They can break down with age and wear and tear during sports.
This is tendonitis or inflammation in the knee and is an injury to the tendon that connects the kneecap and shinbone. The patellar works with the front of the thigh to extend the knee for walking, running and other movements.
Collateral ligaments connect the thighbone to the shinbone. This ligament can tear due to trauma or collision during sports.
Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee joints and allow the tendons and ligaments to slide easily over the joint. When these sacs swell and become inflamed it causes bursitis.
This is caused when the IT band rubs against the outside of the knee joint. This is very common in runners and athletes.
The posterior cruciate ligament is located at the back of the knee. It is one of the many ligaments that connect the thighbone to the shinbone and keeps the shinbone from moving too far backward.