ACL Patients: Traditional Physical Therapy Is Failing You

ACL tears are at an all-time high — up 77% for women and 19% for men in the last 12 years. We also see a staggering 20-30% re-tear rate. Physical therapy likely plays the largest factor in the recovery and re-tear rate. So what isn't working?

Education

PT school is a 3-year doctorate covering a WIDE variety of topics. One of the most neglected areas is sports rehab and ACL rehab specifically. A simple 3-hour lecture is not enough. Unless a PT has gone out of their way to become a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, most are not well-prepared to prescribe exercise for athletes. What this often looks like is a PT reading off a generic 'knee' exercise packet.

Dosage

In order to change, we need challenge. ACL tears wreck havoc on the central nervous system. Yet, we think 3x10 heel slides will make the changes we need. Screw 3x10. How about 3x500? Or 2x1000? We need dosages that actually elicit change.

Specialty

ACL injuries are not straightforward. There is nuance and a certain level of specialization required to be good at them. Most PT practices are too busy treating older folks with chronic back pain, so that's what they focus on getting better at.

Time

Most PT clinics are a mill. One PT for every 2-3 patients, 15-30 minutes of one-on-one attention, generic exercises, passed off to an aide. This is simply not enough time or attention to kick-start recovery.

Baseline

Insurance companies are designed to get you back to baseline. But baseline = torn ACL. Not only do we need to get you back to baseline, we need to surpass it and help you level up.

Equipment

Most PT clinics are best equipped to serve their most frequent customer — the geriatric population. Athletes need athlete rehab. No pink weights, BOSU balls, and balance boards. We need real turf, real weights, real sports medicine.