ACL Rehabilitation in a Weekend Starring Laura Opstedal
Currently Scheduled Dates
Folsom, CA – June 7-8, 2025
MAC Performance Physical Therapy
Registration Open
Portland, Maine (NOT Oregon) – August 16-17, 2025
Dirigo Physical Therapy & Performance
Registration Open
We are currently scheduling for 2025 and 2026. Please contact us if you are interested in hosting ACL Rehabilitation in a Weekend at your facility.
Intended Audience:
Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Athletic Trainers, and related professions/students of those fields
Description:
This course was developed for physical therapists and athletic trainers who currently work or want to work with ACL reconstructed patients. There is plenty of discussion on injury prevention and etiology/mechanisms of ACL injury, but very little focus on rehabilitation beyond a basic surgical protocol. Understanding concepts related to restoring muscle capacity and expression will be discussed in detail.
Additionally, return to sports testing is performed by relatively few physical therapists due to access to appropriate equipment which leads the clinician to make assumptions or use functional testing that may overestimate the athlete’s function. An emphasis on using testing throughout the rehabilitation versus only as a terminal testing battery will be discussed in detail. Without serial testing, there is no feedback on if we are actually restoring muscle function.
This course will instill confidence in the practitioner by highlighting many clinical pearls and rehabilitation concepts that can be used on Monday. Participants will learn testing batteries and collaborate with other clinicians in a lab/lecture/discussion based course, learning how to apply all concepts throughout the ACL rehabilitation lifecycle.
Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Perform force testing using hand held dynamometry, calculate torque and interpret results
- Obtain a basic understanding of isokinetic testing
- Interpret countermovement jump metrics and asymmetries with force plate testing
- Develop programs using strength and conditioning principles for an ACL rehabilitation for each phase during the rehabilitation lifecycle
- Use targeting approach throughout all phases of ACL rehabilitation to facilitate quad force capacity
- Understand concepts related to rate and force expression
Schedule
Day 1 |
|
| 08:00 - 09:30 | Intro/Biomechanics |
| 09:30 - 10:15 | Surgical specifics |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Break |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | Immediate Post Operative Considerations |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Single Joint Force & RTD Testing |
| 12:30 - 13:00 | Lunch (on your own) |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Single Joint Force & RTD Testing (Lab) |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | Return to Training |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | Break |
| 15:15 - 16:15 | Overview of Force Plate Use in Clinical Practice |
| 16:15 - 18:00 | Clinical Force Plate Use (Lab) |
Day 2 |
|
| 08:00 - 08:45 | Programming for ACL Rehab |
| 08:45 - 09:15 | Programming Case Study (Lab) |
| 09:15 - 10:15 | Restoring Elastic Capacity |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Break |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | ACL Rehab Exercises (Lab) |
| 11:30 - 12:00 | Lunch (on your own) |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | Return to Sport Testing |
| 13:00 - 13:45 | Return to Sport Testing (Lab) |
| 13:45 - 14:30 | Case Studies |
| 14:30 - 14:45 | Wrap Up/Putting it all together |
Presenter:
Laura Opstedal
Laura Opstedal, PT, DPT is the owner of Build Physio & Performance in Bozeman, MT. She is an ABPTS Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist and a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and has a level 2 USA Weightlifting Coaching Certification. Laura has over 20 years of experience working with ACL injured athletes including pediatric, high school, NCAA, recreational and professional/elite athletes from many different sports including football, basketball, soccer and snow sports.
Laura has lectured at APTA Combined Sections Meeting, American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy’s Annual Meeting & Scientific Conference, and many other conferences nationally on topics related to ACL rehabilitation and return to sports assessments. Her special interests include isokinetic testing and force plate analytics as well as mentoring aspiring private practice owners and young clinicians.
Contact Hours 14/CEU 1.4
This course meets the standards for 14 hours of continuing education by most state physical therapy boards. Please contact your state board for details on their specific requirements.
The Science PT (BOC AP#: P3211) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers. This program is eligible for a maximum of 14 Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
For more information on CEU, check out our Continuing Education Credit page.
Terms & Conditions/Refund Policy
By registering for this course you agree to the Terms & Conditions including the refund policy.
Currently Scheduled Dates
Folsom, CA – June 7-8, 2025
MAC Performance Physical Therapy
Registration Open
Portland, Maine (NOT Oregon) – August 16-17, 2025
Dirigo Physical Therapy & Performance
Registration Open
We are currently scheduling for 2025 and 2026. Please contact us if you are interested in hosting ACL Rehabilitation in a Weekend at your facility.