The Super Bowl’s MVP, Physical Therapists
From the sidelines to the off season, Physical Therapists are an athlete’s best defense
Signal Hill, California (January 28, 2015) – An NFL season is long and leaves many teams beaten and broken. While professional athletes are no stranger to all kinds of season or career-ending injuries, one of the most notable is an ACL tear. The University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) reports that each year there are more than 200,000 instances of ACL tears nationally, the majority of which are a result of playing agility sports, such as football. Athletes at all levels of play are susceptible to an ACL tear. Quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Sam Bradford both suffered ACL tears this year which dramatically changed their and their teams’ season.
In 2013 the NFL reported 57 ACL tears and the 2014 season has seen its share of ACL injuries too. And, in the 2012 Super Bowl game, two New York Giants players went down with ACL injuries. The Giants managed to pull out the win, but it just goes to show that the title of champion can all hinge on a knee.
“An ACL injury is considered devastating to athletes because of the long and difficult recovery period,” said Susan Reischl, owner of Reischl Physical Therapy in Signal Hill, and a member of the Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (PPS). “Following an ACL repair surgery, patients spend up to six months with a Physical Therapist working to regain mobility, strength and function in their entire lower extremity. We are constantly evolving our rehabilitation protocols to challenge our patients and return them to a level of function that is, for the most part, superior to their previous state.”
There is no fool-proof way to prevent an ACL injury; however, the American Physical Therapy Association recommends the following as components of a preventative exercise program:
- Activities to improve balance, strength and sports performance.
- Specific strengthening of the abdominal, back, hip and leg muscles - keys to preventing future injury!
- Exercises should be done 2 or 3 times a week and include sport specific exercises
- The program should last no fewer than 6 weeks
Reischl says Reischl Physical Therapy doesn’t require a physician’s referral and is an expert in ACL injury recovery and preventative injury exercise programs. For more information, please visit Reischlpt.com
About The Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association
Founded in 1956, the Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association champions the success of physical therapist-owned businesses. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) represents more than 85,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and students of physical therapy nationwide. For more information, please visit www.ppsapta.org.