Mend Colorado - ACL Injury - Physical Therapy Blog and Injury Information

No Differences In Muscle Strength Or Size Found Using Blood Flow Restriction After ACL Surgery

February 7, 2025

ACL injuries remain one of the most common sports injuries rehabilitated by Physical Therapists. Athletes returning from ACL injury, treated either conservatively or surgically, face a difficult recovery period due to reduced agility, balance, power, mobility, and strength. Blood flow restriction (BFR) is a commonly used modality combined with exercise to improve muscle strength and...

ACL Injury Physical Therapy

Increased Risk of ACL Re Injury Among NSAID Users

August 18, 2016

In our previous posts we have detailed the risk factors for ACL injury and the effectiveness of Physical Therapy to reduce this risk especially among adolescents. A percentage of athletes who return to sport will re injure their ACL leading to further surgeries and Physical Therapy. A delayed return to sport allows the athlete more...

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Reducing ACL Reinjury Risk

June 20, 2016

Athletes often return to sports around 6-9 months after ACL reconstruction and Physical Therapy. In a previous ACL post we described how important these Physical Therapy sessions are to an athlete’s recovery. Each session after surgery is designed to move the athlete closer to the all important return to play. New research is showing how...

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ACL Reconstruction in Older Athletes

April 20, 2016

ACL injuries are on the rise across the United States as more individuals participate in athletic activities. As described in prior posts, the majority of these ligament injuries do not involve contact but rather occur with deceleration and directional changes in sports. Athletes with decreased strength, balance, and coordination are unable to dissipate forces placing...

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Return to Professional Basketball after Surgery

January 26, 2016

“In life there are no guarantees” and this is certainly the case with return to sport after surgical procedures. Unfortunately, the commonly held belief is surgical repairs of muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. guarantees a return to sport at prior levels of play and competition. The odds of returning to competitive levels of sport can be...

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Risk of Future Injury after ACL Surgery

January 19, 2016

In our experience, a sub group of patients who have successfully returned to sports after an ACL injury continue to be at risk for future injury. Physical Therapy interventions can significantly reduce the risk of future injury to either an athlete’s involved or uninvolved leg. Athletes who complete their prescribed Physical Therapy visits have both...

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ACL Return to Sport and Physical Therapy Attendance

January 17, 2016

As ACL injuries continue to rise among professional and recreational athletes Physical Therapists will continue to rehabilitate these athletes in order to allow them to safely return to sports. In our practice in Boulder, we commonly see athletes over the course of 6-9 months post operatively as they develop the strength, balance, and sport specific...

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Hip Weakness and Risk of Future ACL Injury

December 22, 2015

In prior posts we have documented the impact of ACL injuries on our athletes. Unfortunately, these injuries are becoming more common especially among female athletes who are up to 8-10 times more likely to sustain an ACL injury compared to their male peers. The risk factors behind these injuries have been described in previous posts,...

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Can I Return To Competitive Skiing After An ACL Injury?

December 2, 2015

In previous posts on ACL injuries we have discussed the rising incidence of knee injuries across multiple sports and events. As we enter ski and snow board season Mend will help manage an increased number of these injuries. The lower extremity is the most commonly affected body region for ski injuries with 1 in 3 injuries...

ACL Injury athletes knee pain sports injuries treatment

ACL Reconstruction and Surgical Outcomes

October 13, 2015

ACL sprains and complete tears are of the most common injuries we encounter at Mend Physical Therapy. Prior posts in our blog have detailed many topics on ACL injury including prevention, treatment, and return to sport. As ski season approaches in Colorado some of our fellow skiers will injure their ACL contributing to an estimated 250,000...

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