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9 Things I Learned About ACL Rehab With Wesley (Because who likes even numbers) – By: Evan Kuhl, DPT
I asked Evan to share about his clinical experience as a student with us earlier this year. He has since finished school and passed his boards! I hope this is informative for any students and new grads that are interested in ACL rehab. Everything below is written by Evan. 1. Don’t expect someone to be
Why Having The Proper Foundation Matters in ACL Rehab
Restoring full range of motion, regaining quadriceps contraction and decreasing swelling should be the primary goals after ACL surgery to properly set the foundation for the rest of rehab. As a physical therapist that specializes in ACL rehabilitation, I see patients from all different phases of recovery after ACL surgery. Every therapist has different biases
ACL Return to Sport Testing – My Thoughts on The Hop Tests
After a patient undergoes ACL surgery and months of physical therapy, the most commonly asked question is, “when is the athlete ready to return to sports?” The hop tests are commonly used to assess whether athlete’s are safe to return to sport after ACL reconstruction. The four primary tests include the single hop for distance,
ACL Reconstructions – Why are re-tear rates so high?
ACL re-tear rates are approximately 20-25%. That means one in every four to five athletes are suffering a second ACL tear. The question is, why are ACL re-tear rates so high? This is very much a loaded question but I’m going to contribute it to four major reasons: Orthopedic surgeons clearing athletes too early Physical
How an average Joe went from nearly failing out of PT school to full case load cash-based sports PT
Let me preface this by saying that none of this is my own doing. I am a firm believer that God opened the doors for me to get to where I am today. I had to work hard but too many circumstances out of my control had to happen for me to end up where
Treating The Injured Athlete – Providing The Highest Level of Care
Participation in sports is at an all time high and with that comes increasing injury rates. Recovering athletes need and deserve the proper level of care to not only recover from their current injury, but also reduce the likelihood of future ones. In order to properly treat athletes one must have a comprehensive understanding of
ACL Rehab – Finding The Right Physical Therapist Matters
In my opinion, not every physical therapist is qualified to treat ACLs from start to finish. While this statement may ruffle some feathers, let me present you with an analogy that may help put things in perspective. If your car starts having issues, do you take it to just any average mechanic or try to
Sports Injuries – Finding The Right Physical Therapist Matters
For athletes, playing sports is a way of life, it consumes much of the week and many of their friends are from the teams they play on. Missing practices and games can be extremely frustrating and the desire to get back to sport is the top priority. Finding the highest quality of care that’s the
Why The Screw Home Mechanism Is Important In ACL Rehabilitation
One pivotal aspect of ACL rehabilitation is regaining full range of motion which is a key component to reducing second ACL injuries. While it may seem straightforward, it amazes me how often I see ACL reconstruction patients from other physical therapists who still don’t have full knee extension over four months from surgery. It happens
The Void in ACL Recovery
I’ll start off by saying that ACL recovery is personal for me as I have suffered ACL tears in both knees. Looking at the staggering statistics of second ACL injuries, it makes me wonder how many can potentially be avoided with improved physical therapy. Research provides a range of second ACL injuries which includes re-tears
How To Grow As A Physical Therapist – A New Grad’s Perspective
I’m writing this to evaluate myself as a therapist and to hopefully encourage/help new grads. A quick background on myself, my name is Wesley and I have been a physical therapist for about two and a half years. I previously worked at two different physician owned outpatient clinics and recently switched over to a cash-based
How An “Average Joe” Passed The NPTE – 12 Tips to Pass The NPTE
I wrote this in 2015 but I figured some may still find this helpful. Let me start by saying that none of this would be possible without God. He has blessed me with a passing score and I am unbelievably grateful. This entire process has drawn me closer to Him and for that I am