We have written previously about the high rates of subsequent knee injuries after an athlete returns to sport and activity after ACL surgery. Interestingly, the most common site of injury is on the opposite knee indicating athlete’s are using a compensatory balance and coordination strategy during play. Current research is working on developing physical therapy...
Post operative immobilization is often utilized after ACL surgery in an attempt to support the knee joint. The reasoning behind the bracing includes reducing abnormal forces across the knee, patient comfort, and reducing the risk of injury to the recently repaired tissues. Research has currently not found a strong benefit of early post operative bracing for...
Up to 250,000 athletes will sustain an ACL injury each year and the majority of these patients will require Physical Therapy before and/or after their ACL reconstruction surgery. These athletes may be at risk of future lower extremity injuries either on their involved or uninvolved lower extremity because of inadequate physical therapy, poor movement patterns,...
ACL sprains and complete tears are of the most common injuries we encounter at Mend Physical Therapy. Prior posts in our blog have detailed many topics on ACL injury including prevention, treatment, and return to sport. As ski season approaches in Colorado some of our fellow skiers will injure their ACL contributing to an estimated 250,000...
Ankle mobility is essential for both daily walking tasks as well as higher level athletics and sports participation. In our Physical Therapy practice in Boulder we see a loss of dorsiflexion, bending, among athletes with lower extremity injuries and conditions. A lack of ankle bend, dorsiflexion, has been associated with many conditions including heel pain, plantar...
The stability of a joint is determined by 3 main categories including passive structures (anatomical bone congruency, ligamentous support), active structures (muscles and tendons), and our proprioception or balance system. Together they create a powerful system of stability to support a joint in both healthy and injured or sprained conditions. Importantly, an injury to one...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS The Truth About Midlife Strength: It’s About Health, Not Vanity As we enter our 40s and 50s, our bodies begin to change — sometimes dramatically. Muscle mass decreases, metabolism slows, bone density decreases, and aches and pains become more noticeable. Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause only accelerate these...
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...
As ACL injuries continue to rise among professional and recreational athletes Physical Therapists will continue to rehabilitate these athletes in order to allow them to safely return to sports. In our practice in Boulder, we commonly see athletes over the course of 6-9 months post operatively as they develop the strength, balance, and sport specific...
Alpine skiing is Colorado’s most popular winter sport and provides billions in tax revenue each year. Across the country, about 7 million individuals took part in at least one day of alpine skiing in 2017. Skiing while popular and fun does come with inherent injury risks. Authors have found 1-2 ski injuries per 1000 ski...
