Had ACL Surgery? Here’s What Actually Matters in Your Recovery

ACL surgery is just the beginning.

Whether you’re an athlete looking to return to your sport or an active adult who just wants to trust your knee again, the real work starts after you leave the operating room. And unfortunately, many people don’t get the support or guidance they need during the most important phases of recovery.

At Off The Block Performance Physical Therapy in Central, we help patients move past the “standard protocol” to build strength, confidence, and performance that lasts—without skipping steps or rushing the process.

Why ACL Rehab Is About More Than Just Healing

After surgery, most people are told to follow a basic timeline. But your knee doesn’t care about timelines—it responds to load, movement quality, and strength.

The biggest mistakes we see?

- Rushing through early rehab without building proper mechanics

- Not regaining full knee extension

- Under training the hamstring and glute muscles

- Returning to sport before movement and force symmetry are restored

This leads to re-injury, chronic instability, or never quite feeling “back.”

Client Story: Helping Lauren from Clemson Return to Volleyball Stronger Than Ever

Lauren, a 17-year-old volleyball player from Clemson, came to our Central clinic six weeks post-ACL reconstruction. She had completed her initial PT sessions elsewhere but didn’t feel confident in her knee and still lacked full quad strength.

She wanted to return to club volleyball—but didn’t want to risk re-injury.

During our evaluation, we found:

- Limited single-leg strength and control

- Delayed quad activation and poor power production

- Asymmetry in jumping and landing mechanics

- Fear and hesitation during cutting drills

We guided Lauren through a full return-to-sport protocol that included:

✅ Rebuilding strength with progressive overload
✅ Neuromuscular re-education to restore confidence in her movement
✅ Plyometric and cutting drills with slow progression
✅ VALD performance testing to measure limb symmetry before return

By month 5, Lauren was practicing again. By month 9, she was back in full competition—and playing her best season yet.

How We Help Post-Op ACL Patients Do It Right

At Off The Block PT, we specialize in long-term, performance-based rehab—not just early-stage recovery.

✅ Full-range mobility and strength restoration
✅ Sport-specific return-to-play programming
✅ Limb symmetry and force plate testing (VALD)
✅ Coaching for confidence, strength, and prevention

Whether you're 6 weeks out or 6 months post-op, it's not too late to get it right.

Don’t rush your ACL rehab. Do it the right way—with experts who know what it takes.

We help athletes and active adults in Central, Clemson, Seneca, Anderson, and surrounding areas recover stronger than before.

📞 Call or text (864) 633-9272 to schedule a post-op or performance consult. No referral needed.