The ACL is one of the ligaments that connect the thigh bone to the shin bone and provide stability to the knee. A tear to this ligament can be one of the most devastating injuries in sports today since it takes 6-9 months to heal. Most tears result from landing, cutting, or pivoting movements often seen in sports such as football, basketball, and soccer.
There are more than 200,000 ACL injuries in youth athletics in the US each year, and approximately 70-80% of these injuries are non-contact and may be largely preventable. At Breakthru Physical Therapy + Fitness, our team of professionals is trained in sport-specific movement analysis to identify faults and provide progressive exercises to prevent ACL injuries before they happen.
Who Is At Risk For ACL Tears?
Sports that have cutting, twisting, pivoting, or jumping movements are high-risk sports for ACL tears.
Youth and adolescent athletes will sometimes grow while they’re training and participating in sports. Rapid changes in bone length during growth spurts will result in functional strength loss. As the body develops and changes, the brain will not have the same ability to react. This puts youth athletes at high risk for ACL tears.
Females are also more likely than males to suffer an ACL injury. Females aged 15-19 are 4-6 times more likely to suffer a non-contact ACL injury than males with the same exposure.
How Can PTs Help Prevent ACL Tears?
ACL prevention programs aim to identify faulty movement patterns and address weaknesses in athletes before an ACL tear can occur. Our physical therapists will perform an evaluation and develop an individualized ACL prevention program that will consist of the following:
- Movement, balance, and agility training
- Strength and conditioning
- Endurance and performance training
- Posture and alignment
- Sport and position-specific drills
To learn more about our ACL Prevention programs, offered in one of our Breakthru Physical Therapy + Fitness clinics, or to schedule an appointment, please click here.
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