Ask a physical therapist

DlonettiThis will be my third season post acl surgery, when will my leg get back to the same size as the other/tips to do that. Less of a skiing question more of a gym question cuz the skiing has been fine for two years now

steez_apprenticewhat's the best way to prepare for the ski season/recover properly between days, and what do you typically suggest for shin pain?

SkierPThttps://www.newschoolers.com/news/read/Shin-Bang-Manage

Here is a previous post about shinbang!

For preseason rehab, I recommend a full fitness approach. Get stronger, leaner and fast. Train the big 3 lifts (bench, deadlift, squat) with various of dumbell work. Run more, sprint more. Interval train on a bike.

Recovery between days is tough. Icing only for pain, heat is generally better. Hydrate more than you think you need do. High protein intake can help as well.

Modalities like massage, dry needling and such can also help recovery. I hope this helps!

SkierPTWow, third ACL? That's tough man, you're a tough dude!
That's a hard question to answer. Adding muscle mass normally takes months. Adding 0.5 lb per month is a realistic goal. Train for strength, power and hypertrophy. If you're not sure how, feel free to DM me.

Diet is a huge part of recovery along with hydration. Caloric surplus with high protein intake will help build muscle.

I wish you the best. I'm glad skiing has been good. Please wait a minimum of 9 months before returning to sport!

_jam0__What are your thoughts on knees over toes?

saucemastrscottyLast season I separated my shoulder (grade 3), doctors told me it didn't require surgery. It's still not back to 100% (I did it at the start of March), really want it to be better by the start of the season, are there any exercises/anything u recommend doing?

BIIIGZI’ve read in a few scientific articles/studies that strengthening the neck muscles can mitigate the severity/occurrence of concussions.

What are some PT approved ways to strengthen the neck muscles?

Your insta is awesome by the way I have like all of the pre-season prep exercises saved lmao. And your foam roller/stretching/calf exercises rlly helped my shinbang issues🙏

**This post was edited on Sep 18th 2023 at 11:06:37pm

PartyBullshiitDo you have any ski specific stretching routines you recommend for day of skiing?

LoodwikAny way to reduce ACL related swelling faster after activity? This will be my first winter back after surgery last september.

SamuelForsgrenI almost completly tore the acl in the begining of 2022 its still litle acl left but the doctors said it was hanging in thread so i didnt ski much that season but by the end i skied more and i didnt get surgery because it worked well in the spring and the 2023 season i was skiing very much and it worked well and i feel like my knee is normal now and i dont have any problems. Do you think it will be problems in the future for me because i didnt get surgery?

asparagusHow to get bulletproof shoulders?

SkierPTSorry to hear about that, a separation is a nasty one. Because its usually just ligament damage, it can take a longggg time to heal.

Here are a few higher level exercises on my Instagram to check out.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvD1xiMNqQ-/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

_jam0__What are your thoughts on knees over toes?

Liam_j10I tore my ACL this last winter and had surgery the last week of Jan. Rehab was going terrific until May when I was getting back into running. I got too excited and ran way farther than I should have, aggravating my patella tendon (noted in an mri), and probably other things in there. Ever since then progress has been much harder. I wanna work on strengthening my legs for ski season and to help support my knee but a lot of exercises that involve bending do not feel good and def aggravate it (squats, lunges, even cycling). since that injury in may, it also clicks in the front every time I bend it. I'm having success and progress hiking, but I definitely need some more exercises to get back into running and skiing at a high level. RDL's have been good too



Any suggestions on exercises, activities, or treatments that can help that aggravation in the front while still allowing me to build strength and make progress?

b0ssdo you have any opinion on collagen supplements? Is the body’s natural ability to make/process/idk collagen a use it or lose it thing?

Is it better to stretch in hot or cold room? Hot room means more flexible right a way but does that actually translate to flexibility gains in all temps?

In the 200 days before a season, is it better to train single leg strength and overall output? Single leg then overall power out? Or overall power out then single leg.

For cardio, is it better to train on a bike and make more cardio gains? Or run, make less cardio gains but potentially strengthen joints and ankles? Is the difference even that big? I’ve been skiing hard all year every year now and cant seem to make gains running because I just explode my knees before even sweating. Is this a sign I should run from scratch? Or should I ditch running if joint strength gains are negligible?

-eREKTion-I’m about 4 months into recovery from an ankle avulsion fracture. PT has not been going that well, I can walk and jog but haven’t regained a ton of strength or mobility yet. Stick with PT? Or seek out a second opinion because I feel like I might need surgery?

No-Skill-PhilWhat to do about long-term (maybe 1.5-2 years) sharp pain located on the top of the patella, but felt inside the knee?

Fully flexing the left knee results in a massive sharp pain and leg goes limp for a bit. Landing backseat SUCKS and cannot sit-ski anymore haha

A general physio said it was most likely quad tendinitis, so now I do unweighted leg lifts every third day or so, and try to foam it quads most days but I forget all the time.
It’s still hanging around though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

pro tips?

ajbskiI’m two months into a meniscus tear I picked up on closing day at mammoth.

I haven’t treated it properly and continued regular activity hoping it would get better. climbed several mountains, couple days of whis bike park, rock climbing etc…

now most recently, I was changing the shocks on my truck and was squatted for about 6 hrs straight. Now I can’t bend my knee fully without medium pain. With weight or no weight. No pain otherwise.

should I rest it for a couple of months before ski season or should I just keep up with activity with a focus on strengthening muscles in that leg?

AlwaysGrabBluntHey man, I've bruised both of my calcaneus' two times now in the last couple seasons. Is there anything I can do to help prevent this from happening?? (Aside from not landing flat)

AlwaysGrabBluntI just have boot doc inserts. Nothing custom

SkierPTI’d go to a boot fitter if possible. Spend some $$ to create the best fitting boot.

also check your ankle mobility and strength !

AlwaysGrabBluntI just have boot doc inserts. Nothing custom

SkierPTHow’s it going after a few days since this post?

absolute rest is generally the worse thing you want, even with injury!

LoodwikHad this issue a few years back. Have you tried switching to softer boot boards?

LoodwikHad this issue a few years back. Have you tried switching to softer boot boards?

Amnolan4Any good exercises or stretches you recommend for IT Band Syndrome? I see things all over the internet but nothing necessarily geared towards skiing or single leg workouts.

GetshiftyHey I've been dealing with Patellar tendinopathy since July, didn't get serious about it until late August. Saw improvement but regressed recently because I tried to go into plyometrics / sport to early. I've moved back to heavy isometrics twice a day that target quads, hamstring, and soleus calf to strengthen the muscles around the tendon and introduce load without high rate of movement. I've been following Jake Tuuras Jumpers Knee Protocol not sure if you know it, its a 4 stage processes of high weight isos, then lifting, then store and release (plyometrics), and finally return to sport. Thoughts on this program? Going to go back to lifting in a week when the daily pain goes down to 1/10, currently around 3-4/10.