One common term we like to throw around with Accelerate ACL athletes is “compensation pattern.” The term is used to describe an improper movement pattern that places more stress on parts of the body than normal (for example: for a number of reasons, running or jumping can put more stress into the knee than it…
As many of you reading this already know, ACL reconstruction surgery is far more than just a physical process. There is also a mental side to coming back from an ACL injury. The recovery process requires a great deal of mental fortitude in order to recover fully and return to sport with confidence. The mental…
After an ACL injury or ACL surgery, many athletes report experiencing increased frequency of muscle cramping. Oftentimes, this cramping occurs in the toes, calf, or hamstring. It’s important to note that this is a normal part of the process and that a cramping sensation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. So why does it happen? Let’s…
As an athlete, ACL injuries can feel downright devastating. And believe me, as a former athlete myself, I get it. When you experience an ACL injury, you don’t just lose the ability to play your sport — you lose all the things that come with it. The pride in being able to work your butt…
Direct current electrical fields can modulate a number of factors involved in the healing response after AC surgery, as it brings needed blood flow, nutrients, and specialized cells to the area. In order to facilitate the ACL graft-tendon healing process, low levels of DC stimulation are applied as close to the surgical site as possible…
A few weeks ago, Zach was asked to interview on Kneed to Know, a show that focuses on helping people to get fit after knee surgeries and injuries. During the interview, Zach and the host, Josh Bond, discuss the following: The importance of utilizing an ACL prehab program to go into surgery feeling 100% How…
Last week, we caught up with a number of pro athletes in the Exos training facility just outside of Dallas. I noticed that one of the athletes had been instructed to do “quad sets,” but was having a difficult time activating the quad, due to a few common compensation patterns that set in after knee…
While coaching our athletes, performance specialists at Accelerate ACL are trained to use positive cues as much as possible. In general, we try not to use terms like “Do not do x,” because we find athletes respond and learn much better to the more positive version of the cue like “Try doing y.” However, there…
Tearing an ACL can feel like one of the most devastating moments in an athlete’s career. But in devastating moments, there are two types of athletes. On one hand, there are athletes who let the devastation overtake them into a downward spiral. On the other hand, there are people who use these moments to dig…
After an ACL injury or surgery, most athletes have two primary goals: I want to get back on the field as soon as possible I want to ensure this never happens again One of the most significant obstacles in achieving those goals is rebuilding the quadriceps muscle on the affected knee. Immediately after the ACL…