the repeat offender
Christine Keck senior from Erie, Pa has experienced an athlete’s worst nightmare multiple times in her soccer playing career. First, during her freshman colligate season she tore her right ACL and during her sophomore season she tore her left.
As a major contributor her freshman year things were looking very promising until her fifth game of the season. Keck says, “I was on a breakaway and a girl slide tackled me from behind and I heard my leg literally sound like it was breaking and I started screaming before I even hit the ground ‘I tore my ACL I tore my ACL.’ ”
Keck described her first rehab process as being difficult, however following her second ACL tear to her left knee she explains the process as being much more psychologically grueling. Her second ACL tear occurred her next season during her first preseason scrimmage. “Five minutes into the game I turned and pivoted weird” says Chrissy, as she describes how her second injury occurred.
About a week after the injury, Keck had her knee surgically repaired to correct her torn ACL. Once completed, Keck was on crutches for a few days, but was soon able to walk again. After another couple of weeks, Keck began the very preliminary steps of her rehab process by exercising her knee through stretching and flexibility movements. "The first couple of times that I moved my knee after the surgery definitely felt a little weird," she says, "but after the second or third time doing the rehab exercises, I could notice a tremendous difference in my knee."
The rehab process for an ACL tear varies from athlete to athlete with the average process taking anywhere from 6 months to in some cases over a year. Not every ACL tear is identical, some being more severe than others. In Keck's case she dealt with two different scenarios. When asked about both rehab process she says “the second time I tore it was a lot harder psychologically because I knew what I was going through.” Not only was it psychologically harder the second time, it was also physically harder as well. Keck described this by saying “I also had to be on crutches six weeks as opposed to 3 days the first time…it was pretty hard motivating myself to do a lot of things”.
Many doctors and physicians agree that women are more susceptible than men to ACL injuries. For example data from soccer, basketball, and volleyball suggests that women are 3 to 7 times more likely to their ACL then men. This can be possibly explained by factors such as differences in anatomy, hormones, generalized laxity and neuromuscular function. Keck agrees with most research done on the possibility of a hormonal factor that may play a role in the higher prevalence of female ACL Injuries. “Every single person (female) I know that tore their ACL was on their period.”
Though Keck suffered severe ACL injuries in succeeding years she was still able to complete a successful career by coming back and being a major contributor to the women’s soccer team as a outstanding forward/midfielder for both her junior and senior seasons.
Interview link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr9gaidyTrk
As a major contributor her freshman year things were looking very promising until her fifth game of the season. Keck says, “I was on a breakaway and a girl slide tackled me from behind and I heard my leg literally sound like it was breaking and I started screaming before I even hit the ground ‘I tore my ACL I tore my ACL.’ ”
Keck described her first rehab process as being difficult, however following her second ACL tear to her left knee she explains the process as being much more psychologically grueling. Her second ACL tear occurred her next season during her first preseason scrimmage. “Five minutes into the game I turned and pivoted weird” says Chrissy, as she describes how her second injury occurred.
About a week after the injury, Keck had her knee surgically repaired to correct her torn ACL. Once completed, Keck was on crutches for a few days, but was soon able to walk again. After another couple of weeks, Keck began the very preliminary steps of her rehab process by exercising her knee through stretching and flexibility movements. "The first couple of times that I moved my knee after the surgery definitely felt a little weird," she says, "but after the second or third time doing the rehab exercises, I could notice a tremendous difference in my knee."
The rehab process for an ACL tear varies from athlete to athlete with the average process taking anywhere from 6 months to in some cases over a year. Not every ACL tear is identical, some being more severe than others. In Keck's case she dealt with two different scenarios. When asked about both rehab process she says “the second time I tore it was a lot harder psychologically because I knew what I was going through.” Not only was it psychologically harder the second time, it was also physically harder as well. Keck described this by saying “I also had to be on crutches six weeks as opposed to 3 days the first time…it was pretty hard motivating myself to do a lot of things”.
Many doctors and physicians agree that women are more susceptible than men to ACL injuries. For example data from soccer, basketball, and volleyball suggests that women are 3 to 7 times more likely to their ACL then men. This can be possibly explained by factors such as differences in anatomy, hormones, generalized laxity and neuromuscular function. Keck agrees with most research done on the possibility of a hormonal factor that may play a role in the higher prevalence of female ACL Injuries. “Every single person (female) I know that tore their ACL was on their period.”
Though Keck suffered severe ACL injuries in succeeding years she was still able to complete a successful career by coming back and being a major contributor to the women’s soccer team as a outstanding forward/midfielder for both her junior and senior seasons.
Interview link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr9gaidyTrk