Return To Sport - Advanced Testing and Assessment
At Vertical Sports Physical Therapy, we are very passionate about restoring active adults and athletes back to their prior performance levels, or in some cases, the best they’ve ever been.
Return To Sport
Returning athletes to their sport is one of the aspects of physical therapy that we are most passionate about. As a former college basketball player, Dr. Adam Shildmyer (Vertical Sports PT founder) understands firsthand the challenges of recovering from injuries. Throughout his career, Adam experienced various injuries but was fortunate to rehabilitate effectively and avoid missing time on the sidelines. However, he recognizes that many athletes face more severe injuries, often leading to significant time away from their sport.
At Vertical Sports PT, we believe that one of the biggest challenges in physical therapy is keeping athletes committed to their rehab journey, especially once they reach 80% of their full recovery. At this stage, many athletes feel pain-free and capable of returning to activity, leading them to halt rehab prematurely.
Unfortunately, this premature return is a major contributor to the rising rates of ACL re-tears, which are higher than ever. We believe this is because athletes are not adequately prepared to return to sport. At Vertical Sports PT, we follow a strict, data-driven protocol that ensures an athlete’s strength, agility, and speed meet the necessary benchmarks before returning to competition.
The results speak for themselves: under our care, the re-injury rate for high school, college, and professional athletes is exceptionally low. This is due to our comprehensive approach, which focuses on not just recovery but also returning athletes to their sport at an elite level.
At Vertical Sports PT, athletes leave feeling confident and ready – not only to return to their sport but to perform at a higher level than before their injury. It’s a process driven by passion, precision, and proven results.
Why Is Return To Sport Important?
- Limb Symmetry – There is an extremely high chance that even after doing a basic physical therapy regimen, your injured limb is less than 90% equal to your un-injured side. We make sure its 100%.
- Equal Force Production – Whether you want to go hiking or you play basketball professionally, movement requires equal force generation for optimal performance.
- Equal Plyometric Performance – Similar to the above, you need minimum 90% limb symmetry in range, strength and performance to return to sport. We get you to 100%.
- Sport Specific Testing – Not all sports are created equal. If your rehab team isn’t putting you through the correct functional and sports testing – you won’t be prepared.
- Unrivaled Confidence – Research has shown that a high number of adults and athletes that return to sport lack the confidence they once had. We ensure you are more confident than ever.