ACL Reconstruction Rehabilitation
ACL REHAB SHOULD END WITH A READY ATHLETE.
Healing time matters. So do strength, power, movement quality, confidence, practice exposure, and the demands of the athlete's sport. We build those pieces together through the return to competition.
One-on-one with a DPT. Dylan in Kent, WA or Jason in Tampa, FL. In-person and hybrid care.
Self-pay appointments from $80 for 30 minutes. Managed plans from $180/week.
Free consultation: 20 minutes by phone or 30 minutes in person.
Back to basketball after ACL rehab.
Enock spent 18 months rebuilding after ACL surgery and additional procedures before returning to high-level basketball.
Enock Okito
Basketball
Build the strength, speed and confidence your sport demands.
Walking and stairs return before high-speed braking, cutting and contact. Rehab builds those demands in stages, while the rest of your body keeps training. Healing time, knee response, testing, practice exposure and surgeon guidance all inform the next step.
Competitive return often takes 9 to 12 months or longer. The procedure, associated injuries and demands ahead can change the timeline.
THE PLAN CHANGES WHEN THE ATHLETE IS READY FOR THE NEXT DEMAND.
Time and healing set important constraints. Within them, knee response, strength, movement, confidence, and sport exposure shape the next phase.
Phase 1
Protect and Restore
Early recovery
- +Settle the knee
- +Restore motion
- +Rebuild quadriceps control
- +Normalize daily movement
What we need to see
The knee is settling, motion is progressing, and loading fits the surgical precautions.
Phase 2
Build Foundation
Foundation phase
- +Progress loading
- +Build single-leg control
- +Restore work capacity
- +Keep the rest of the body training
What we need to see
Strength and single-leg control are ready for heavier loading and more complex movement.
Phase 3
Strength and Running
Strength and impact phase
- +Build meaningful strength
- +Prepare for impact
- +Begin graded running
- +Monitor the knee response
What we need to see
The knee tolerates strength work and the athlete meets the prerequisites for impact and running.
Phase 4
Power and Agility
Power and movement phase
- +Progress jumping and landing
- +Add deceleration
- +Build change of direction
- +Introduce reactive work
What we need to see
Jumping, landing, braking, and cutting progress without a lasting increase in knee symptoms.
Phase 5
Return to Sport
Sport exposure phase
- +Complete the testing battery
- +Progress practice exposure
- +Build confidence under pressure
- +Plan ongoing training
What we need to see
Testing, practice exposure, confidence, and sport demands support a graded return to competition.
CLEARANCE IS A FULL-PICTURE DECISION.
Testing matters alongside healing time, knee response, confidence, practice exposure, and the demands of the athlete's sport and position.
Quad Strength
Enough force for the sport
Dynamometry compares the operated leg with the other side, prior testing, and the force demands ahead.
Hop Testing
Capacity and strategy
Distance and time matter, but landing strategy, confidence, and the knee response add context.
Movement Quality
Brake, land, and redirect
Planned and reactive tasks show how the athlete handles speed, force, and changing demands.
Sport-Specific
Practice before competition
Training progresses through position work, team practice, and controlled competition exposure.
Quadriceps strength is reviewed throughout rehab, alongside symptoms and movement. When force production or knee response needs work, the training plan changes before harder impact or sport demands are added.
Research and the gaps we look for
Where the gap shows up
GETTING BACK TO SPORT TAKES MORE THAN A QUIET KNEE.
Large studies show the gap between finishing early rehabilitation and returning to competitive sport. The later phases need enough time, loading, testing, and practice exposure to prepare the athlete for that jump.
55%
Return to competitive sport
Ardern et al., 2014
23%
Second ACL injury in young athletes within 5 years
Wiggins et al., 2016
13%
Providers using objective return-to-sport criteria
Burgi et al., 2019
11 to 33%
Patients meeting return-to-sport batteries when tested
Paterno 2018; Welling 2019
What often gets missed
- 01Strength is checked lateQuadriceps and hamstring capacity need attention throughout rehab, not only before discharge.
- 02Impact advances too quicklyRunning, jumping, and landing need enough exposure for the knee to show a predictable response.
- 03Drills stay too controlledPlanned movement should progress toward reaction, fatigue, contact, and position demands.
- 04Clearance becomes the finish lineA graded return to practice belongs between testing and unrestricted competition.
What we commit to
How we work to bend those numbers.
- Strength, jump strategy, movement, and knee response are measured throughout the process.
- Testing is interpreted with healing time, confidence, practice exposure, and the demands of the sport.
- The return-to-sport phase continues through running, cutting, reactive work, and graded practice.
- One-on-one visits and programming change as the athlete builds capacity and the sport demands rise.
“Mandatory regular testing and progress monitoring during rehabilitation cut ACL reinjury rates by half.”
Kotsifaki et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025
That's how we run it.
Care options and cost
Hybrid Performance Rehab
From $180 per week
One-on-one physical therapy plus a complete strength and performance program between visits. Your weekly tier can change as your needs change.
Compare tiers and payment optionsIndividual appointments
$80 / $120 / $160
30, 45 or 60 minutes of one-on-one care. Self-pay; superbills may be available for eligible PT visits. Reimbursement depends on your insurance.
Individual appointment detailsStandard rates are subject to change and confirmed before care. You may request a written Good Faith Estimate.
Book a Free Consult
Back to the mountains.
Eight months after ACL surgery, Tyler climbed Mount Rainier and got engaged at the summit.
Tyler Aliment
Return to the mountains
ACL rehabilitation
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you're deciding whether this fits, start here.
Competitive return often takes 9–12 months or longer. The procedure, associated injuries, sport, and testing results can shift that timeline.
Many athletes return to full sport participation after ACL reconstruction. A staged return generally considers time, symptoms, strength, movement, practice exposure, confidence, and the demands of the sport.
Studies report overall second-injury rates around 6–15%, with higher rates in some young cutting-sport athletes. Rehab and testing may address modifiable factors, but no program can promise that another injury will not occur.
We are a cash-based practice. Our model allows one-on-one visits, programming between sessions, and later-stage return-to-sport work when appropriate. Superbills may be available for eligible PT visits, but reimbursement depends on the plan and service.
Running often begins around 12–16 weeks, but the surgeon protocol and clinical findings come first. We review motion, swelling, quadriceps strength, walking mechanics, and the response to impact before advancing.
Already Torn One?
ACL Prevention Program
After ACL reconstruction, your opposite knee is at elevated risk. Our prevention program targets the modifiable risk factors (landing mechanics, strength ratios, and neuromuscular control) to protect both knees going forward.
Learn more →Ready to Test?
Return-to-Sport Testing
Not sure if you are ready to go back? Our return-to-sport testing battery gives you objective data on where you stand and what you still need to work on before competition.
Learn more →
Stop rehabbing for “good enough.”
Whether you are one week post-op or six months into a program that does not feel like it is preparing you for your sport, we can evaluate where you are and build a plan around the work still ahead.
Book a Free ConsultWork with Dylan in Kent, Washington or Jason in Tampa, Florida.