Welcome to the Health Plus Minute. You hear it quite a bit in sports, the athletes out with a torn ACL. You’re aware of the big-name athletes, and you probably know friends or family members who’ve had their season cut short. ACL stands for anterior cruciate ligament. It is one of the crucial ligaments that controls the motion of the knee. Cutting sports like football, basketball, and soccer account for the largest percentage of injury. We used to think this injury was created by a blow to the knee or a contact injury, but many ACL injuries occur when an athlete plants the foot on the ground to change directions. Most interesting is the injury occurrence is four to five times higher for women than men. Why? Potential factors include abnormal bony alignment, wider pelvises, knocked knees, flat feet, and hormonal issues. Maybe the biggest factor is suboptimal muscular control. You can’t turn the muscles on at the right time. Research suggests that women athletes don’t have the same leg power and control as their male counterparts, but this can be developed. At ProMotion, we’ve developed the ACL Acclimatize program. Protect your daughter’s knees so she doesn’t become a statistic. ProMotion Physical Therapy and Functional Fitness. Be strong. Be connected.