SPORTS INJURY & REHABILITATION
Our physical therapists treat athletes of all levels including high school, collegiate, recreational, and club-level athletes. We work closely with several local high school athletic departments and have treated many athletes from Fellowship Christian School, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, Roswell High School, and others. Appointment times are available before and after school to accommodate students’ schedules.
A Step Ahead Physical Therapy offers return to sport testing for all sports and all age groups. Unfortunately, there is a high re-injury rate after recovering from an initial injury (for example 40% of repaired ACL injuries have a reoccurring ACL tear). It is very common to feel nervous about returning to activity after an injury or surgery and that is why return to sport testing is important in your recovery process. We use multiple different tests and measures to gather objective data and develop a plan to ensure you are ready to safely return to your sport while decreasing the risk of re-injury and the potential for another surgery. If your scores show that you are not quite ready to return, we will create an individualized plan to get you back to your activity safely and give you the ability to perform at your best. See the list below for some of the
tests that we use in the clinic to help you get back to your sport:
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The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) - A screening tool with 7 different movement where deficits with mobility or stability become apparent. The participant is graded on a 0-3 scale and given a composite score to determine their ability to safely return to their sport.
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The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) - This test uses a full-body approach to look at movement patterns that are functional or dysfunction in order to determine the cause of your pain and not just the location of the pain.
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The Y-Balance Test (YBT) Upper Quarter (UQ) (Shoulder/arm) and YBT LQ (legs) - The YBT measures motor control and stability to determine asymmetries from side to side and can be used for the shoulders and legs. The results of the test can guide your rehabilitation plan to address the asymmetries that are found.
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Jump/Hop testing - We use a wide array of hop and jump tests including hopping for distance, hopping on one leg, and tuck jumping to look at your mechanics to ensure you are not at increased risk of re-injury due to a faulty movement pattern.
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Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) - This test is a multi-joint upper body test that provides a picture of an athlete’s preparedness to return to Upper Extremity related sports activities including throwing/hitting/spiking etc.
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Move2Perform - This is a great tool that we use to input your results from the tests listed above to determine your injury risk. This program is evidence based and has been widely studied and shown to decrease your risk of returning to your activity before you are safe to do so.