Knee Crunching After ACL Surgery: What It Means and How to Address It

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Knee Crunching After ACL Surgery: What It Means and How to Address It

So, if your knee’s crunching or popping after ACL surgery, you’re probably thinking, “Is this normal?” And the answer is—yeah, it usually is.

What’s Going On?

Knee crunching (or whatever sound it’s making) is totally common after surgery.

  1. Scar Tissue: After surgery, your knee builds up some scar tissue. And that stuff can rub against things in there, causing pops and cracks. It usually settles down after a bit.
  2. Your Knee’s Out of Practice: After the surgery, your knee isn’t moving the same. It’s stiff and weak, so it makes weird noises. It’s just the knee getting back to its old self.
  3. Air Bubbles: Sounds weird, but sometimes air gets stuck in your knee. When you move it, those bubbles pop and make a noise. It’ll stop as you heal.
  4. Tight Muscles: Your muscles around the knee could be tight or just not firing the right way yet. That can make your knee feel kinda crunchy.

When Should I Worry?

Most of the time, the crunching isn’t a problem. But if it starts hurting, swelling up, or you’re feeling unstable,  go get it checked out.

What To Do About It?

If your knee’s crunching, here’s what to do:

  1. Build Strength: Get those muscles around your knee stronger. The stronger your muscles, the less strain on your knee and less crunching.
  2. Stretch & Move: Tight muscles suck. Stretch and keep your knee moving, and it’ll loosen up that stiffness and help with the noise.
  3. Don’t Rush: I know you wanna get back to running and jumping, but don’t rush it. Take your time and follow your rehab plan. You’ll get there.
  4. Hydrate & Eat Right: Keep your body fueled. Hydrate, eat good food—your knee needs that to heal well.
  5. Check In With Your Therapist: If the crunching’s bugging you or it’s not going away, talk to your therapist. They’ll check things out and make sure you’re on track.

Bottom Line

Knee crunching’s annoying but mostly harmless. It’s just part of the recovery process. But if you want to make sure you’re doing everything right and getting the best results, grab my Complete ACL Recovery Guide. It’s packed with everything you need to crush your rehab and get back to doing what you love—without the crunching.

Check out the Complete ACL Recovery Guide here!