Good news! We have a brand new course series for you to get stuck into. The new 4 course programme is all about ACL Rehabilitation, get ready to explore all stages of the rehab process.
Aims of the Programme
ACL injuries are unfortunately common in many sports. The consequences following the injury are devastating and can be career-ending for many athletes. By planning a thorough rehabilitation program, physiotherapists play a crucial and central role in achieving a successful outcome and preventing future complications. A good understanding of existing deficits, functional and sport-specific needs, and setting realistic time frames are the keys to building a road map of rehabilitation for your patient including return to sport.
Outline
This programme consists of four separate online courses and an assignment. Let’s take a look at the courses.
The ACL ligament is a key structure in the knee joint. Injury to this ligament results in many complications and alters the stability and function of the knee. Since an ACL tear is a very common presentation in physiotherapy clinics, understanding the basic structure and function of this ligament is of great importance. This course will take you through the basics of anatomy, biomechanics, injury mechanics and ACL reconstruction. You will also learn about the grades of injury, the principles of surgical reconstruction and graft selection.
ACL Acute Management After Surgery
ACL injuries are unfortunately common in many sports. The consequences following the injury are devastating and can be career-ending for many athletes. By planning a thorough rehabilitation program, physiotherapists have a major role to play in a successful outcome and preventing future complications. This course considers the initial phase of such a programme that immediately follows surgery and which has a significant influence on the time taken to recover and the eventual outcome. It will give you an overview of the important goals, outcomes and management strategies up to 6 weeks following ACL reconstruction.
Rehab Planning
Following the initial phase of post-operative ACL rehabilitation, designing a rehabilitation plan may be a challenge for many clinicians. A good understanding of existing deficits, functional and sport-specific needs, and setting realistic time frames are the keys to build up a road map for your patient. The phases of ACL rehabilitation are discussed in this course with important clinical goals and considerations for a safe return to sport. You will be introduced to the nine phases of rehabilitation following ACL reconstruction, how to set realistic time frames, when to move your patient to the following phase and how to select appropriate exercise parameters for each phase.
Return to Sport & Re-Injury Prevention
Many athletes fail to return to their previous level of performance and a great percentage experience a second ACL injury and undergo a revision reconstruction. The presence of neuromuscular control deficits is evident after surgery and may contribute to instability and re-injury. From here developed a need for a return to sport rehabilitation protocol and to set criteria that an athlete had to pass before returning to sport. The course discusses the final phases of rehabilitation before returning to sport and how to prepare athletes on high demanding sport-specific skills to prevent ACL-reinjury. It also takes into consideration the associated psychological factors and factors that predict outcomes after ACL-reconstruction.