Serious season ending knee injuries are on the rise in the United States. Cutting sports such as lacrosse, basketball and soccer have some of the highest injury rates.   The risk factors of such injuries are well documented in medical literature. Intrinsic anatomical factors and hormonal influences and as well as many other variables are thought to contribute to knee injuries. These are variables that we cannot control as coaches and clinicians. Due to this, it is imperative to turn our focus to the extrinsic variables that can be modified and adapted through training that have been shown to contribute to serious knee injuries.

Over the last 25 years, a wealth of research has been focused on non-contact knee injury prevention. Research as proven that prevention programs focusing on landing and cutting mechanics drastically decrease the incidence of significant knee injuries as well as improve athletic performance. Physio Pro took this information into account and developed our “Impact” program. Since its inception in 2002, we have run hundreds of recreational and professional athletes through this program.   After collaborating with Steve Traina MD (Team Physician for the Denver Nuggets) in 2007, Biomet Sports Medicine contacted, filmed and released portions of the  program in DVD/ digital format.

Individual programs are tailored at Physio Pro.  These sessions consist of an orthopedic/biometric evaluation using the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA).  This evaluation allows the clinician to identify problem areas in flexibility, strength and neuromuscular control which increase the susceptibility to injury.  This is individual to every athlete.  No two athletes move the same.  This is the best way to really assess and predict serious biomechanical problems before they lead to injury.  During this eval we also perform an analysis of the athletes jumping technique.   After this evaluation we give our athletes a specifically tailored program targeting their deficiencies.  We also integrate a 6 week progressive plyometric program at this time.  Weekly  follow-up sessions can then be utilized to progress interventions and optimize the athletes performance.  

Team sessions are also an option.  With these sessions, Physio Pro pulls from their experience of the common deficiencies we have observed in thousands of hours of working with injured athletes.  These sessions are very easy to add to any practice and will focus on a dynamic warm-up, functional strengthening, agility exercises and plyometric training. These interventions are ideally performed at the beginning of practice.   These sessions are run by your coaching staff and coordinated through the movement experts at Physio Pro.  15-20 minutes per practice is all that in necessary to take the steps in reducing the likelihood of injuries this season.

Sample of a Team Impact session