Like the infamous 6-month mark after an ACL surgery/reconstruction is considered a time to start jumping and change of direction, 4 months after ACL surgery, or somewhere in that vicinity, is considered the time to start running. This timetable of the 4 and 6-month marks has been considered the norm for quite some time, and we hear it all the time when working with our athletes inside of Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, MA.

Whether it be an athlete’s friend, their parent, their surgeon, or something they read on Instagram or the internet, we need to shift our mindset of a time-based return to activity to a criteria-based return to activity.

What does that mean?

It means that instead of using the 4-month mark or the 6-month mark for return to running or jumping and cutting, we test our athletes to make sure they can handle the demands of running and jumping. Check here for more details about the infamous 6-month mark after ACL surgery.

This doesn’t mean we just test them at each point in time, but we ensure they are performing the proper strength and conditioning movements to best prepare them for running and jumping.

We do perform an in-depth battery of tests for all of our athletes before letting them run or jump to make sure they have the pre-requisite strength and stability. But, just because you can pass a test doesn’t mean you know the material.

With all of our athletes, we make sure they have been performing some type of:

Deadlift and Squatting Variations

Single Leg Hip and Knee Dominant Movements

Early Plyometric Movements

The exercises and movements listed above are just a few movements and drills we like to incorporate before running. They are not an exhaustive list. We want to make sure all of our athletes are prepared to handle the demands of a return-to-run program as well as have had the opportunity to learn how to produce and absorb force before running.

If you are rehabbing after an ACL reconstruction or a lower-body injury, ensure similar movements mentioned above and others are incorporated into your program before starting a running program.

We work with countless athletes after ACL/knee injuries/surgeries. If you have any questions on the ACL timeline of 4 months of ACL surgery, we can help.

Move Strong PT wants to be able to get back to playing the sport you love. Our Massachusetts physical therapists are here to help. Take that first step.