Do You Know if You’re at Risk of Sustaining an ACL Injury? The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is located in the knee and can be injured or torn when it is harshly twisted in the wrong way. ACL injuries can be placed into two categories: “contact” or “non-contact.” “Contact” ACL injuries occur when there is a collision or external force applied to the athlete’s lower extremity.
News Bulletin Caring For Your Health & Body
ACL Injuries inYoung Female Athletes Avoiding the Risk of
The Statistics Are Staggering!
70% of ACL injuries are non-contact Over 259,000 ACL injuries occur each year Costs of over $2 billion in healthcare Females are 2-8 times more likely than males to tear their ACL
The peak age for ACL injury is 16 yo for females, and 17 yo for males Injury prevention programs have reduced ACL injuries by up to 72% Training effects only last 3-4 weeks >30% of athletes fail to return to their previous level of sport 1 year after clearance Rate of re-injury is >20% in patients post ACL surgery
News Bulletin CARING FOR YOUR HEALTH & BODY www.thetrainingroompt.com
Avoiding the Risk of ACL Injuries in Young Female Athletes
Do You Know if You’re at Risk of Sustaining an ACL Injury? The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is located in the knee and can be injured or torn when it is harshly twisted in the wrong way. ACL injuries can be placed into two categories: “contact” or “non- contact.” “Contact” ACL injuries occur when there is a collision or external force applied to the athlete’s lower extremity. “Non-contact” ACL injuries occur without an external force applied to the lower extremity and are often described as occurring when the athlete plants their foot while making a change of direction. This type of ACL injury is most common in sports that require sudden stops and changes in direction, thus increasing the risk of twisting the knee the wrong way. Fortunately, physical therapy can help treat ACL injuries, and can even prevent them from occurring in the first place.
For more information on how physical therapy can help you avoid the risk of sustaining an ACL injury, contact The Training Room today. Who Is at a Higher Risk of Sustaining ACL Injuries? Many factors have been proposed to explain the phenomenon of females being 2 to 8 times more likely to suffer an ACL injury in sports. Among these factors are anatomical differences between genders, such as females having smaller ACLs, as well as smaller notches in the knee where the ACL resides. Females typically have steeper angles from their hip to their knee which gives them a more knock- kneed alignment and increases the valgus stress at the knee. There are also suggestions that hormonal differences may contribute to the injury discrepancy between genders.
In addition to these reasons, there are biomechanical and neuromuscular differences between genders that may increase ACL injury risk for females. Female athletes have been shown to have different landing and cutting mechanics, and different muscle firing patterns compared tomales, which alter the forces at the hip and knee. While ACL injuries are more common in female athletes, it is important to note that male athletes are also at risk – especially in sports such as soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. It is important to make sure that you are practicing proper technique in order to avoid such an injury, no matter your gender. Call us today! We can help you reach your optimal physical function and help you prevent future ACL injury.
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What Can I Do? According to GetPT1st, “research shows that 26% of non-contact ACL injuries could be prevented by specific exercise programs.” At TheTraining Room, we are dedicated not only to helping you recover fromyour ACL injury, but we are also able to help you prevent further injuries from occurring in the future. Our physical therapists will conduct several tests to gauge your injury risk, in order to determine whether or not you are at high-risk for a non-contact ACL injury. After diagnostic tests and physical examinations are complete, your physical therapist will design a specialized treatment plan based on your specific needs. In a study examining the effect of ACL injury prevention programs, female athletes demonstrated a reduced ACL injury risk of 52%after incorporating the program into their fitness regimens. Even better, male athletes demonstrated a reduced ACL injury risk of 85% after incorporating the program into their fitness regimens. With such overwhelmingly positive odds, it is no secret why athletes take advantage of these programs. For the past two decades, ACL injury prevention programs have been a strong focus in the field of sportsmedicine. Various programs have been created as away to encourage and promote proper techniques for athletes who may be at high risk of sustaining an ACL injury. Discover The Benefits Of Our ACL Prevention Programs Today! Especially for young female athletes and those engaged in sports that require constant stops and changes in direction, such prevention programs include targeted exercises for the sport Benefits of an ACL Prevention Plan
that address muscle strengthening, muscle recruitment patterns, proprioception, and plyometrics. Most ACL injury prevention program sessions last approximately 20-30 minutes, making it very easy to incorporate into a practice setting. It is important that athletes strongly consider participating in an ACL injury prevention program, due to the increasingly positive statistical evidence supporting their effectiveness. The Training Room is dedicated to helping athletes recover from ACL injuries, in addition to preventing further injury in the future. If you are interested in our ACL injury prevention program, contact us today to find out how our services can benefit you. We can help you reach your optimal physical function and get you back to playing the sport you love with ease!
WHAT DOES YOUR SQUAT SAY ABOUT YOU?
Is your weight even on both legs? Is one hip popped higher than the other? Asymmetrical strength and lack of limb control can increase the risk of injury. Leg dominance in sports leads to loading asymmetry and can contribute to the development of unilateral damage to the lower limbs. Do your knees stay lined up with hips and toes?
ACL C.A.R.E (Complete Athlete Recovery Experience) Our Comprehensive Program for ACLManagement
Our Mission Our mission is to provide a comprehensive programwhich encompasses injury prevention, injury management and return to play. ACL C.A.R.E. will provide a resource for those at risk for ACL injury and those involved with athletes at risk, in addition to those who have already sustained an ACL injury. Goals of ACL CARE • Reduce the incidence of ACL injuries through education, training, and screening. • Provide rehabilitation and training based on the most current scientific data provided by staff who are experienced and educated in the best practices in ACL treatment and prevention. • Providepatientswith themost comprehensive and criteria based progression in recovery. • Provide physicians with objective data to make decisions on return to activity. The Pillars of ACL CARE 1. Injury Prevention: • Educational programs • ACL injury prevention training
• R2P Program for post rehabilitation recovery 3. Return to Play: • Functional testing for progression to full activity • Functional testing for readiness to return to full sports participation ACL Services Return 2 Play Program:
Big improvements are the focus to improve overall performance in sports or daily life. This is a great place for clients who have been discharged from formal physical therapy or coming off an injury, but have not yet reached their goals. Return to Sport Evaluation: The Training Room has developed a return to sport testing protocol to assess an athlete’s readiness to return to sports participation following an ACL or other lower extremity injury. Our protocol is based on the most current scientific literature and has been part of a research study for validation. Single leg hopping, shuttle run drill, and The results of the RTS test are relayed to the physician and used for return to play decision making. Injury Prevention Training: All of our performance training whether it is for our athletes or our adult fitness clients are geared to injury prevention training. Specifically for ACL injury prevention, we address the known risk factors of knee injury including modifiable movement patterns: dynamic knee valgus (diving in at the knees), stiff landings, leg dominance and lack of core control. There is evidence that prevention programs have succeeded in reducing knee injuries by 27% and ACL injuries by 51%. So if you are participating in sports, specifically the higher risk sports including basketball, soccer, lacrosse and football, this is a great program for you to keep you healthy and in the game while also enhancing your overall performance.
Our Return 2 Play program is designed for individuals of any age and ability that have been previously injured and are trying to return to exceed pre-injury physical performance and fitness levels. In this program a coach designs and individualized workout to address the client’s specific deficits – strength, balance, coordination, endurance, mobility, etc. Can you wiggle your toes? Is the weight in your heels? This allows active muscular recruitment of the lower extremity while avoiding unwanted stresses on the passive structures. Knees forward and weight on your toes can be a sign of weak gluteal muscles and may also be exacerbated by weakness in the calf, weak hamstrings, or quadriceps dominance. Restricted motion in the calf via the Achilles tendon, or in the ankle, restrictions in hip mobility, and deficits in foot mobility
• Injury risk screening 2. Injury Management:
• Expert rehabilitation for ACL injuries including pre & post and non-operative care • Criteria based protocols
Knee valgus (knock-kneed movement) during the squat may be influenced by decreased hip and buttock strength, increased the tendency for your thighs to want to squeeze together, and by restricted ankle bend. Observed valgus during the squat may due to poor movement pattern of the athlete at the trunk and lower limbs. A deficiency in the ability to generate strength at the hip to control the position of the knee has been identified as a key risk factor for non-contact ACL injury in women.
may also hinder your ability for proper squat mechanics.
If your squat is not checking the correct boxes, call our
therapists today at 856-874-1166 for an evaluation. We can help you clean up your squat and prepare you to move safely.
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