Torn ACL - Should I Run or Not?

I am a 270 pound male who has a torn ACL in my knee, and I was wondering if you think its ok to run or should I just stick to walking.
My doctor says my knee is ok to do what I want as long as I dont do anything to twist it the wrong way, what should I do?


Answer by Dominique:


Hi there,
Thank you for your running injury question. I am not a doctor, and if your doctor says it is fine to walk and run I'd go with his advice and try it.

Twisting is definitely not a good idea, so sports like soccer, basketball, racquetball are out of the question.

The ACL is a major ligament and stabilizes your knee. Running, because you can do it just running straight ahead, is therefore a "safe" activity.

I would recommend doing stretching and strengthening exercises to make your ankles, lower and upper legs stronger. I.e. make sure everything around your knees is as strong as possible so the muscles in there help your knee function properly.

And, last not but least, make sure you "ease into" a running program. A good choice for you would probably be a run/walk program. Have a look at some of the beginner running programs on my site or create your own based on the same logic.

When you get knee pain again, go back to talk to your doctor.


Hope this helps.
Best of luck with the knee.
Cheers,
Dominique