Get Your Knees Ready For The Upcoming Season
| Knee pain from sports injuries is really common, with up to 33% of all sports injuries involving the knee joint. On top of this, 20-25% of all knee injuries happen when playing sport. Considering this, it is important to look at knee injury prevention and treatment options to look after those niggling knees as you get ready for the upcoming season. |
Why Is It Important To Get Your Knees In Great Shape Before The Season Kicks Off?
| Whether you’re dealing with an ongoing niggle or a traumatic injury, knee pain impacts the amount of time you are able to run, train & compete on the field, court or track. Trying to manage your knee pain when the season is in full swing is hard, and can mean that you have to miss some game-time and training sessions. So treating your knee pain early, before it starts impacting your season or pre-season training plan, is a far better option. |
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
| Pre-season knee training programs, and treating knee injuries early when they are at the niggly stage and before they become sore enough to limit your training, has been shown to be very effective. Research into knee injury prevention programs have shown big benefits including: – 50% reduction in ACL injuries – 50% reduction in all knee injuries – 40% reduction in ankle injuries – 22% reduction in other lower limb injuries |
It’s About Performance As Well As Prevention
Not only do these programs reduce your injury risk, but they also improve sports performance. Proven benefits include;
– increased 20m sprint speed
– increased vertical jump height
– improved single-leg balance and hopping performance
So What Does This Actually Mean?
Completing a well-designed and structured knee injury prevention program has the double benefits of preventing injuries as well as improving your sports performance. By building good quad, hamstring, calf and hip strength you can keep your knees healthy, reduce your chances of getting injured, stay on the field longer and perform at your best!
Comprehensive Knee Injury Treatment And Prevention
The Central Performance Knee Program draws together the best evidence and program structure from research around the world and from many different sport-specific programs. It has been developed to cover the full range of knee function, right from getting rid of minor niggles through to returning to full competition after significant injury or surgery such as ACL reconstruction.
Know Where You Are, Track Your Progress
We show you exactly where you are and how your knee is improving by regularly retesting objective measures such as;
– force production
– biomechanical/movement control
– plyometric ability (jumping, hopping and bounding)
– specific return-to-sport assessments
You will always know your current priorities, how they will improve your knee performance, and what’s next in your program. Whether you’re solving an ongoing knee issue, recovering from surgery or a traumatic injury, or focusing on preventing future knee injuries, this program is designed to keep you strong, healthy and in the game.
Your First Session Of The Knee Program
Your first session, the Assessment Session, is one of the most important ones. We’ll spend time discussing your goals, injury history, sporting priorities, current injury status and any other general health and lifestyle factors.
Next we objectively test your knee and overall leg function. This is highly personalised to your current situation, so is different for everyone. However, the overall goals are the same;
1. assess your current knee functional capacity
2. set initial priorities to maximise your knee strength and function, giving you a solid foundation to build performance as you improve
3. plan out your program to take you to your goals, whether they be sports performance, recovery from surgery, preventing future problems or just leading a pain-free lifestyle
The Five Stages Of The Knee Program
The program consists of 5 stages. Your starting point and progression will vary depending on your particular presentation and the results of your initial assessment session. For example, if you have recently had ACL reconstruction surgery or an acute knee injury you will begin in stage 1, however if your goals are more around preventing future problems or treating an annoying but persisting niggle then you may begin in stage 2 and quickly progress to stage 3.
1. Restore full knee & ankle range of motion
2. Build inner range of motion strength & neuromuscular control
3. Functional strength & return to run
4. Return to sport
5. Prevention and future performance
Depending on what stage you are in, return-to-run and return-to-sport testing is performed to determine whether your knee is ready for the demands of running and sport. The flexibility of this program allows you to progress at your own pace according to your injury, overall fitness level and performance goals.
Have You Been Told You Need Knee Surgery? Do Some Work Now To Bounce Back Faster.
There is an additional pre-operative rehabilitation stage, which is specific to those that are about to undergo a surgical procedure. If you are due to have surgery, research shows that completing a structured pre-operative program significantly helps your recovery post-surgery. Please Contact Us for more details and information.
Get In Touch For More Info Or To Begin The Knee Program
For more information please call us on 9280 2322, or click below to book online directly (just select Ruben Caetano from the provider list) or ask for more information.
Ruben Caetano
Physiotherapist, Knee Program Manager, Pilates Instructor
The Knee Program is delivered by Ruben Caetano, a masters-qualified physiotherapist with extensive clinical expertise & post-qualification training in sports management. His experience includes working with athletes, particularly rugby league and union, as well as the general population. His passion about treating knees has lead to the development of the program.
