ACL REHAB &
PREVENTION
An anterior cruciate ligament tear is an injury to the knee commonly affecting athletes, such as soccer players, basketball players, skiers, and gymnasts. Nonathletes can also experience an ACL tear due to injury or accident. Approximately 200,000 ACL injuries are diagnosed in the United States each year. Approximately 70% of ACL tears in sports are the result of non contact injuries, and 30% are the result of direct contact (player-to-player, player-to-object). Women are more likely than men to experience an ACL tear. At Postureworks, our goal is to help individuals with ACL tears reduce pain and swelling, regain strength and movement, and return to desired activities.
WHAT IS AN ACL TEAR?
The ACL is one of the major bands of tissue (ligaments) connecting the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) at the knee joint. It can tear if you:
- Twist your knee while keeping your foot planted on the ground.
- Stop suddenly while running.
- Suddenly shift your weight from one leg to the other.
- Jump and land on an extended (straightened) knee.
- Stretch the knee farther than its usual range of movement.
- Experience a direct hit to the knee.
Various physical events (injury, illness, surgery, etc.) can disrupt your brain’s capacity to switch on the right muscle, at the right time, and with the right amount of strength. Without the proper stability system, known as neuromuscular deactivation, this loss of muscle control impairs your ability to properly stabilize joints through their range of motion. Specifically in the knee joint, the ACL becomes more susceptible to increased stress and forces may exceed its capacity, leading to strain or rupture.
Proper training habits along with the ability of the athlete to perform the desired movements in a strong, efficient, and safe manner are essential for optimal health and pain-free performance.
Common Conditions
We Treat
• Achilles strain / tear / tendinopathy
• ACL tear / repair / reconstruction
• Ankle pain
• Ankle sprain
• Arthroscopic surgeries
• Femoral acetabular impingement (FAI)
• Fractures
• Groin strain
• Hamstring strain/tear
• Hip labral tear
• Hip pain
• Hip trochanteric bursitis
• Impingement syndrome
• IT band syndrome
• Joint sprains
• Knee pain
• Labral tears
• Labral surgery
• Ligament injuries
• Low back pain
• Meniscectomy
• Meniscus tear / repair
• Muscle strains
• Nerve injuries
• Osgood-Schlatter’s
• Osteochrondritis Dissecans
• Patellar tendonitis/tendinopathy
• Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS)
• Plantarfasciitis
• Postural dysfunction
• Quadriceps strain/tear
• Sports injuries
• Weak core muscles
• Weakness
How can Postureworks help?
The physical demands of athletes are uniquely different from the general population who do not engage in similar activity. Likewise, physical therapy for this special population should not be given a conventional approach. Working with athletes is typically not a big part of a physical therapist’s education. It is a specialty area requiring much further study, training, and practice following graduation.
At Postureworks, you will be matched with a physical therapist who specializes in treating athletes. Unlike the “typical” PT who probably doesn’t even play sports, you will have a specialist who knows exactly what you are going through.
Postureworks physical therapists assess how you move as it relates to your sport. They apply a holistic approach to identify not only the site of injury, but the true source of any pain, weakness and dysfunction. Addressing the underlying cause is absolutely essential for healing an injury, preventing recurrence, and keeping you healthy and at a peak level of performance. The progression of your physical therapy treatments should be a reflection of the type of activity you are trying to get back to doing.
You will feel the Postureworks difference from your first visit. This is a highly personalized experience delivered by a passionate movement expert fully dedicated to getting you back to the sport or training activity that you love. Once your pain has been addressed, you will have the opportunity to continue honing your movement through ongoing performance training at Postureworks.