OPTI Gets You Back in the Game
Did you know a study was performed that showed only 44% of people who have undergone ACL reconstruction surgery return to competitive sports?
Only 44%!
The same study showed that 90% of the participants achieved normal or nearly normal knee function. So why is it that if 90% of people have normal knee function that only 44% return to competitive sports?
The study concluded that the low rate of return to competitive sports despite the high rates of successful surgical outcomes is because factors such as kinesiophobia (fear of movement), decreased neuromuscular control, and lack of a gradual, supervised progression back to the sport are not addressed in physical therapy sessions.
This shocking statistic shows how special the rehabilitation at Omaha Physical Therapy Institute (OPTI) really is. At OPTI, we have over a 95% return to competitive sport rate for our patients that have undergone ACL reconstruction surgery. That’s over double the national average!
The reason we are so successful in terms of returning our athletes back to their sport is because we incorporate sport-specific exercises into their rehabilitation programs. If you play soccer, we have you working with a soccer ball in different ways as soon as the first week of rehabilitation. If you play basketball, we incorporate basketball-specific exercises to help you regain confidence in the sport. Whatever you play, we find ways to incorporate that sport into your rehabilitation so that you have full confidence in returning to play once you are cleared by your surgeon.
In addition, OPTI’s “Athletes In Motion” (AIM) clinic located inside of the Omaha Sports Complex allows us to work with patients on field turf. This allows our patients to reintegrate back into activities and movements performed in their sport on a sport-specific surface. Kicking, throwing, and sprinting can all be performed in the wide open space the AIM clinic provides. This is a huge physical AND psychological boost for the patients of OPTI. We can literally have patients perform 100 yard sprints in our facility. If you are a wide receiver nervous about running that out-route, we can break that down and help you perform it without any issues. If you are a soccer goalie, we can have you practice punting the ball or kicking goal kicks. No other clinic in the Omaha area can provide this sort of sport-specific rehabilitation!
So, if you are an athlete that would like to return to your sport after undergoing an ACL reconstruction… give OPTI a try! There is a good chance we can help you succeed!
Brent Cordery, PT
Return to sport following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the state of play. Ardern CL, Webster KE, Taylor NF, Feller JA. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Jun;45(7):596-606.