We have partnered with the Sports Health experts at NYU Langone to bring you the “Fit for Flight” Series. As an official medical services provider and performance center for USA Nordic Sport, their renowned experts will answer questions from our Olympic hopefuls and give you tips on a variety of sports health topics.
If you need help getting “Fit for Flight,” NYU Langone offers expert medical care and state-of-the-art diagnostic testing for athletes. USA Nordic members/readers receive exclusive concierge access to their multidisciplinary team—whether you want to improve your performance, have a nagging orthopedic injury, or just need an annual checkup. Fill out our appointment request form and one of their experts will be in touch to help coordinate your care.
For our next installment, we hear from Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Michael J. Alaia, on returning to sport after ACL reconstruction.
“One of the most difficult aspects regarding ACL rehabilitation is return to sport. Return to sport may be somewhat difficult, secondary to physical limitations, mental restraints, or a combination of the two. Often times, athletes will feel hesitant or fearful about going back to sport given the initial injury as well as the functional demands of ACL rehabilitation. Additionally, it often takes time to accumulate the muscle strength required for a successful return to sport while minimizing risk a future ACL injury.
We often advocate for return to sport functional testing, which can assess strength, flexibility, and jumping and landing mechanics. These are all paramount in ACL injury prevention. Core strengthening protocols are also quite important for all return to sport programs. For skiing, in particular, functional bracing has actually been shown to reduce the risk of ACL re-injury and your physician may recommend this when you return to sport.”
NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center offers a ‘Return to Sports Evaluation After ACL Injury.’ This comprehensive assessment will provide a personalized recommendation on whether you are ready to return to the slopes. For more information, fill out our appointment request form.
