During late stage ACL rehabilitation it is imperative that athletes are challenged with exercises that will mimic the demands that will be placed on them when they return to sport. Here are some advanced drills that we like to incorporate into our athletes rehab. If you have had surgery or suffered an injury and are at the end stages of rehab but unsure of how to bridge the gap to return to sport, give us a call to set up an evaluation!
Plyometrics are a key component of an athlete return to sport. These drills replicate impact, quick joint/muscle loading, and explosiveness often required by athletes. Once basic proficiency for landing, hopping, and jumping are obtained, we try to layer in a variety of sport specific cues such as different forms of contact and the visual cues used in these exercises. These can facilitate challenging rehab sessions and return to sport.
Plyometrics:
1. Depth drop to box jump with single leg landing: This exercise requires the athlete to absorb force on landing then quickly explode to a box jump. Landing with a single leg on the second box creates a balance challenge and requires strength and stability in the glutes and foot muscles. Instruct the athlete to look straight ahead upon the single leg landing.
2. Hops with 90 degree turn: The therapist tosses a ball either right or left while the athlete is in the air during a hop. The athlete must turn 90 degrees to that direction, catch the ball, and land with control. This helps athletes train the rotational motion, which can be scary after injury or surgery but is imperative for sport.
3. Vertical Jump with Contact: An end stage plyometric drill to be performed after the athlete is comfortable and competent at multidirectional jumping and landing. Landing/jumping can be performed on both legs or a single leg and with or without turns. This replicates contact experienced in sport while allowing the athlete to respond to perturbations and work on landing mechanics to build confidence in receiving contact.
4. 6 Meter Hop with Contact Start: This drill works on single leg explosiveness, power, and reaction time. The 6 meter hop is a common outcome measure used in rehab and the athlete tries to perform this single leg hop distance as quickly as possible while having to react to contact to start the drill.
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19 июн 2024
