Blog

Planning Your Return To Sport After ACL Surgery

At 9 to 12 months out of ACL reconstruction surgery athletes begin to plan their return to competition.  The preceding 9 months of post operative ACL Physical Therapy has re established mobility, strength, biomechanics, power, and endurance.  The 8 and 9th months also allow a gradual return to full practice including scrimmages.  Post operative return...

ACL Physical Therapy in Boulder: What Graft Choice Means for Rehab

By: Lucas Glomb, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve had ACL reconstruction or are preparing for surgery, graft choice plays a major role in how your knee heals and how physical therapy progresses.   At Mend Physical Therapy, we work with ACL patients across Colorado to tailor rehab based on the specific graft used and the demands...

Return-to-Sport Testing After ACL Surgery in Boulder and Denver

By: Lucas Glomb, PT, DPT, OCS Returning to sport after ACL reconstruction is one of the most critical, and most misunderstood, phases of rehabilitation. Too often, athletes are cleared to return based on time since surgery alone, rather than objective readiness. At Mend Physical Therapy, we use criterion-based ACL rehab and return-to-sport testingto help athletes...

Finding The Silver Lining After An ACL Injury

ACL injuries are one of the most devastating injuries for any athlete.  Athletes often experience the sudden loss of identity, as well as, their daily and athletic function.  They face a long, challenging recovery, including Physical Therapy, after surgery.  The 9 month post operative period before their return to competitive sport is challenging and requires...

No Differences In Muscle Strength Or Size Found Using Blood Flow Restriction After ACL Surgery

ACL injuries remain one of the most common sports injuries rehabilitated by Physical Therapists.  Athletes returning from ACL injury, treated either conservatively or surgically, face a difficult recovery period due to reduced agility, balance, power, mobility, and strength. Blood flow restriction (BFR) is a commonly used modality combined with exercise to improve muscle strength and...

Can An ACL Tear Heal Without Surgery?

ACL injuries are one of the most common sports injuries seen in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics.  Previous research on this injury has questioned the utilization of surgery for every patient with an ACL tear due to many returning to full function with Physical Therapy alone.  Authors and researchers have questioned...

Does Every ACL Tear Need Surgery?

ACL tears are one of the most common injuries in sports with between 100 to 200 thousand occurring in the United States annually. Female athletes are at a significantly higher risk than males in the same sport. This is most evident in soccer and basketball where females are 6-9 times more likely to tear their...

Evidence Does Not Support Utilization Of Surgery Over Physical Therapy For Most Musculoskeletal Conditions

The vast majority of musculoskeletal conditions and diagnoses are not life threatening or time sensitive and allow for conservative treatments, including Physical Therapy, to be utilized prior to surgery. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we commonly see outcomes consistent with the current research on the utilization of Physical Therapy instead of surgery for common...