Sports Medicine

Therapists at Back to Action Physical Therapy specialize in sports medicine and treatment of sports injuries. If you have consistent pain before, during, or after exercise, you may benefit from a functional movement evaluation and personalized training program. Similar to non-athletes with orthopedic problems, athletes perform better with balanced motion and strength.

At Back To Action Physical Therapy, we can assist you in reaching your goals by helping you attain peak performance levels. Our staff has many years of collective experience working with the elite athlete. Our staff has worked with the US Figure Skating team and members of the US Soccer and Ski teams and the Boston Marathon. We can also provide custom knee braces and cast for custom orthotics.

ACL Rehabilitation

The ACL ( anterior cruciate ligament ) is one of the main stabilizing ligaments of the knee. It is located deep inside the knee joint and its main job is to limit forward motion of the lower leg away from the upper leg, as well as limit some of the rotation and extension of the knee. This ligament can be torn if there is a violent force applied to the knee, as when the lower leg remains fixed and the body is falling awkwardly away from the lower leg. However, it does not always require such an obvious trauma to the knee, and there are many theories about how this injury can occur. These injuries often occur during sporting activities, and one of the more recent theories about the cause of ACL injuries occurring in sports involves strength and coordination imbalances of the pelvis and legs.

ACL injuries may or may not require surgical repair. A good functional strengthening program is always important to restore muscle balance for a safe return to your activities whether your rehabilitation is conservative (non-operative) or post surgical repair. There are several key muscle groups that need to be strong and trained properly for optimal results, and exercises should imitate closely the stresses the person will be facing when he or she returns to their preferred activity.

Athletes can also train to protect their ACLs and decrease the likelihood of injury. Back to Action Physical Therapy applies these skills in our Speed and Agility Camp put on for soccer players and other athletes. See our Article, "ACL Tears in Women" for further information.

Anterior Knee Pain (AKP)

Anterior knee pain is a diagnosis describing pain under the patella (knee cap) caused by abnormal tracking of the patella in the groove of the femur (upper leg bone) or by abnormal pressure exerted through the quadriceps and tendon. Also called Patella Femoral Syndrome or Dysfunction (PFD), this type of pain is often a common complaint after returning to a seasonal sport without proper physical preparation. Abnormal muscle tone, weakness, postural imbalance, poor flexibility or faulty body mechanics call all result in abnormal stress to the patella. Often, a player will describe knee pain after an activity that requires starting or stopping quickly, running, or jumping. Complaints of pain may extend into daily activity, such as pain with stair climbing or prolonged sitting. However, once the underlying cause of this stress is identified and treated, people with this type of pain usually do very well. It is important not to delay treatment too long, as continued pain can cause increased wear of the cartilage.

Skating Injuries

Many kinds of injuries may occur from skating. Most commonly the cause of an injury in skating is a repetitive stress to a muscle or joint. Less common, surprisingly, are traumatic injuries from a fall or slip. If you have been injured skating, or if you have an injury that occurred off-ice which is keeping you from skating, manual treatment and exercise can get you back on the ice. Evaluation and treatment of your injury, including an evaluation of skating posture and your boots/blades helps to ensure a safe return to activity. An off ice exercise program to progress you back to skating and help maintain your fitness level will help to avoid injuries in the future.

Sports Specific Boot & Blade Evaluation for Figure & Hockey Skates

The majority of foot and ankle injuries in hockey and figure skating are a result of boot or blade problems. Improper fit, lacing errors, blade warp, poor blade mount and lack of creasing of the boot are just some of the problems that can lead to injuries from blisters to stress fractures .

Getting treated for the injury may help you heal, but fixing the skate can help you avoid injury . If you are a growing athlete, chances are you will outgrow your boots quickly. Skates and blades are expensive, but medical care can quickly run up an even bigger bill. Your skates can be evaluated and recommendations can be made to help you avoid injury from faulty equipment.

If there is no problem with the skate, a musculoskeletal evaluation may be necessary to evaluate the skater and assess any problems that might be causing injury. A training program can be designed to help prevent injury and enhance sports performance .