Medical yoga after cruciate ligament rupture
Find stability - maintain mobility
A cruciate ligament rupture is not just an acute trauma to the knee joint - it is also a deep cut in your confidence in your own body. Whether during sport, in everyday life or as a result of an accident: when the knee gives way, there is often a feeling of insecurity, instability and fear of renewed strain.
Medical yoga offers a body-centred, mindful path back to mobility - functional, stabilizing, nerve system-friendly and adapted to the respective healing phase.
What happens when a cruciate ligament ruptures?
The anterior cruciate ligament rupture (ACL rupture) is the most common form and mainly affects people who are active in sports. The causes are usually rotational movements, landings after jumps or sudden changes of direction.
Typical symptoms:
Sudden "buckling" of the knee
Severe swelling and pain
Feeling of instability ("The knee is no longer secure.")
Fear of stress or movement
Treatment can be surgical (with reconstruction) or conservative. In both cases, targeted rehabilitation is crucial - both physically and emotionally.
🧘 What is medical yoga?
Medical yoga is a therapeutically based form of yoga that combines functional movement theory, modern pain and training science and classic yoga principles. It is not about athletic performance, but about mindful reconnection with one's own body, especially in phases of rehabilitation.
Medical yoga is particularly beneficial after a cruciate ligament rupture:
the restoration of stability and mobility
the elimination of protective attitudes and incorrect patterns
the regulation of the autonomic nervous system
rediscovering body confidence and self-efficacy
How does medical yoga help after a cruciate ligament rupture?
1st phase 1: Regeneration & protection (0-6 weeks)
Aim: reduce swelling, gently promote mobility, maintain body awareness
Breathing work for vegetative calming (e.g. breathing waves while lying down)
Active movements of the healthy leg for neuronal connection
Gentle mobilization in supine position with aids (e.g. belt, blanket)
Exercises for foot and leg axis tension without pressure load
2nd phase 2: Functional stability (6-12 weeks)
Aim: muscle building, balance, relearning movement patterns
Strengthening the quadriceps and ischiocrural muscles in a protected position
Standing exercises with wall or chair (e.g. tree pose adapted)
Sensorimotor training with eyes closed or on an unstable surface
Mindful awareness of alternating stress and relief
3rd phase 3: Integration & self-efficacy (from week 12)
Goal: everyday movements, mental stability, coordinative resilience
Dynamic-functional sequences (e.g. adapted sun salutation)
Conscious transfer exercises with body weight
Core stability and pelvic connection (e.g. lateral support variations)
Mental work: learning to recognize and regulate fear of movement
Special features of medical yoga
Focus on functionality instead of form: What counts is not how it looks - but how it feels.
Use of aids (blocks, chair, wall, belt) for joint protection
Trauma sensitivity after a sudden injury experience
Integration of breath, mindfulness and proprioception
Who is medical yoga suitable for after a cruciate ligament rupture?
Patients after ACL or ACL rupture (surgically or conservatively treated)
Athletes looking for safe exercise practice after functional rehab
People with a persistent feeling of instability or a relieving posture
Therapists who want to integrate yoga specifically into rehabilitation processes
Conclusion: Back to confidence - step by step
A cruciate ligament rupture interrupts your confidence in your own mobility - medical yoga slowly rebuilds it. Not with pressure, but with awareness. In small steps, a new body awareness emerges: stable, flexible, alive.
Would you like to learn how to use medical yoga specifically in orthopaedic rehabilitation?
Then discover our training and further education courses for therapists, yoga teachers and bodyworkers.
👉 More information at www.hockenholz.com