A Day in the Life of Post ACL Sports Physical Therapy

By Kirsten Carmichael PT, DPT, CSCS, SFGI

Post ACL reconstruction surgery is one of the most common things I see as a sports Physical Therapist.  Here at Next Level you will see many patients working through different phases of return to sport rehabilitation. Here's a glimpse of some of our different phases of progress.  It is important to respect the healing of your graft and to have a PT who understands how much loading is appropriate (and when) so that you can continually build strength and keep moving towards your sport specific goals.

In early therapy if your quad is have trouble firing we use NMES (neurmuscular electrical stimulation) to help the muscles contract.  Due to all of the swelling these muscles become inhibited after surgery.  It is a big goal to get them firing again.

Also in early therapy our goals are of course to get you walking normally again. As quickly as possible we begin training more functional patterns, challenging your core strength, strengthening your hips, and retraining balance.

Regaining single leg strength is another big goal.  Therapy often involves many different exercises utilizing only one leg at a time so no compensation is allowed.    

As you continue to get stronger another goal is to keep your mobility looking good.  We work hard to restore full range of motion of the knee but also to maintain mobility particularly of the quad (we don't want it getting too tight) and the other tissues surrounding the knee.  Myofascial decompression (cupping), instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, rolling, and mobility bands all help to accomplish this. 

And then we continue to work hard on strength, stability, and endurance...sweat is normal here.

Your Physcial Therapist will progressively load you and watch your movement patterns so that you continue to get stronger. 

Once you meet specific strength, mobility, pain-free criteria you will move into more dynamic and sport specific training.  Here is where things get fun!

 A sports specific physical therapist will have the tools to cater this towards your individual sport's demands and be able to ramp you back into these activities in a controlled environment.

As you can see most of the rehab process looks like a strength and conditioning program but tapered down initially to respect the healing process and integrity of the graft.

 If you are looking for a therapist specialized in returning athletes to sport give us a call or send us a message! 

From Physical Therapy to Training Here's 5 Reasons Why I love Those Kettlebells

 By Kirsten Carmichael PT, DPT, SFG I, CSCS

I commonly get asked what’s the deal with the kettlebells.  My answer is they are an amazing all in one tool. You can rehab injuries, build strength, endurance, and power all at once.  Kettlebells have in fact been around for ages but their popularity seems to come and go in phases like so many things in the fitness world.  There is always something new and flashy but the kettlebell will forever be a staple you can use anytime, anywhere for a full body workout. Here are some cool benefits of training with kettlebells (and why I use them as both a physical therapist and strength coach).

11)    They are fantastic for your shoulders.  As a physical therapist improving the strength and dynamic stability (ability of the deep shoulder muscles to really lock the ball in the socket) are key.  Since my patients can’t take me home with them for manual exercises, I use kettlebells and their unique weight distribution to train this.  Kettlebell arm bars, get ups, bottoms up work, windmills...they all improve stability and mobility of the shoulder girdle. Also, when pressing the kettlebell allows the shoulder to move in more planes of motion than a conventional barbell.  The ability to rotate is huge for your cuff muscles as well as preventing injury (because you don’t jam your tendons).

22)    Kettlebells build incredible grip strength.  This is so important for everything from sports to performing daily activities.

33.)    You can train power, strength, and endurance all at one time.  Again, your more dynamic movements like swings, cleans, and snatches with the kettlebell train power while also sparing wrists/arms that receive a great deal more stress with the barbell versions. 

44.)    You can train stability and mobility at the same time.  Just take a look at the get up…that requires all kinds of shoulder and hip mobility but trains strength and stability at the same.  And it doesn’t get any more functional than getting up from the floor and back down again.

55.)    You can train literally anywhere.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money, and you don’t need a ton of equipment or space. 

Interested in our approach to injury rehabilitation or looking to improve your fitness?  Contact us today to learn more about our Physical Therapy and Strength and Conditioning services and community!