The goal of this clinical trial is to understand if people recovering from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery will complete mental imagery training and if this will improve their injured leg's strength. The main questions are: * Will people complete a five-day mental imagery exercise schedule while in physical therapy for ACLR? * Does mental imagery exercise help raise leg strength during ACLR recovery? Researchers will also compare if different mental imagery exercises involving leg extension or squats will change leg strength. Participants will be asked to: * Participate in two testing sessions to make measurements of leg function * Complete about 10 minutes of mental imagery exercises once per day for five days at home and write down whether they complete the exercises.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
Participants will receive a paper packet with instructions to imagine themselves performing seated maximal leg extension exercises. They will be instructed to imagine the feeling of the exercise for 5 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat this 50 times with a 2-minute rest period after the 25th repetition. They will also be asked to keep track of the exercises with tallies on a table within the packet and also to record on this table if they did not complete the exercises for that day. The participant is asked to perform the exercises on five consecutive days.
Participants will receive a paper packet with instructions to imagine themselves performing maximal standing squat exercises. They will be instructed to imagine the feeling of the exercise for 5 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat this 50 times with a 2-minute rest period after the 25th repetition. They will also be asked to keep track of the exercises with tallies on a table within the packet and also to record on this table if they did not complete the exercises for that day. The participant is asked to perform the exercises on five consecutive days.
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
RECRUITINGFeasibility of Intervention
At the end of the paper packet with instructions for mental imagery exercises, there will be a survey in which participants will record whether or not they have completed the exercises. They will be instructed to fill out this form each day even if they have not done the exercise. Investigators will assess how many days participants complete the exercises.
Time frame: Once per day for 5 days
Knee Extension Strength
Maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) of the knee extensors will be conducted while the participant is seated in a Biodex Dynamometer and secured with waist and trunk straps. This will involve the participant kicking as hard as they can over 2-5 seconds. Participants will be verbally encouraged to achieve maximal force, and they will be able to see a monitor with visual instruction. Participants will be provided at least 60 seconds of rest between trials, and 5 trials will be performed. If the fifth trial produces a force more than 5% greater than any other trial, additional trials may be performed.
Time frame: Pre and post 5 days of mental imagery intervention
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