Curious what happens when you meet a specialist to confirm if you have an ACL tear? Prehab is taking you behind the scenes of what an entire evaluation looks like! Join Arash as he leads you step by step through his ACL diagnosis with an ACL specialist, Dr. Nima Mehran

Chapters: 00:00

Intro 1:59 How Arash tore his ACL

2:15 Where does the initial exam start?

3:52 How does range of motion look? What does this tell us?

5:00 Tissue palpation

6:28 Important testing for ACL and meniscus involvement

11:05 Fluid drainage from the knee

15:30 What happens after we get positive testing?

18:40 Who is a candidate for surgery and who isn’t?

21:08 Why won’t the ACL heal on its own?

24:08 Criteria for ACL surgery, who do you repair on?

25:53 What type of ACL grafts are there? Success rate of each?

20:03 Patellar Tendon Autograft pros and cons

33:00 Quad Tendon Autograft pros and cons

33:32 Hamstring Tendon Autograft pros and cons

36:02 What’s the deal with allografts? Do they work?

38:40 Do we use the IT band as a graft?

42:20 When do you get the surgery after injury

47:00 Is clunking or clicking in the knee bad?

49:16 When can you get back to activity after ACL injury?

55:00 What does ACL rehab look like?

1:01 What is Arash most afraid of for ACL recovery?

1:04 How long does surgery take?

1:10 Conclusion

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:44 Assess your mobility to find your movement preference!

4:08 Compression tolerance and why it matters

6:19 Start with these exercises

10:30 Progress to standing exercises

12:22 Time to work on frontal plane movements

14:35 Try these modifications if needed!

16:08 Time for stability exercises

18:42 Rotation exercises to do

Looking for a full workout if dealing with lumbar disc herniations? You’ve come to the right place! Join Craig as he leads you through a full assessment, mobility routine, and strength for a disc injury!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

1:01 Two categories of swimmers, here’s the important difference

2:23 Traditional true swimmer exercises for the core

8:35 Shoulder strength and stability exercises

11:22 Exercises for non-traditional swimmers

15:30 Shoulder activation exercises for non-traditional swimmers

18:58 Are mobility differences ok?

Are you a swimmer looking to improve your shoulder strength and stability to avoid Swimmer’s Shoulder? Dive into this video with Craig as he discusses two different types of swimmers and the necessary exercises for each!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:21 What are medial ankle sprains?

1:21 How do medial ankle sprains happen?

1:43 Early rehab for medial ankle sprain

2:21 Introduce strength and stability

5:00 The importance of building up ankle eversion

7:40 Let’s add plyometrics!

10:49 Need more structure? Get started with a program!

 

You’ve likely heard of a lateral ankle sprain, but what about a medial ankle sprain? Dr. Arash is all too familiar with this injury! Learn his story and appropriate exercises to rehab from a medial ankle sprain in this video!

00:00 Intro

00:54 Why do we do these tests?

5:12 When should we return to running after ACL reconstruction?

5:44 Get started with these ankle and calf tests! 10:04 What happens if you don’t pass one of these tests?

12:41 Keep testing!

17:11 Time to look at quad strength!

20:15 How well do you absorb load? Let’s find out!

25:14 How well are we producing power?

28:30 How much force are our quads producing?

Returning to sport and performance following an ACL injury? Be sure to perform these tests! Join Dr. Dorian as he discusses why these tests are important and how to perform these tests!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:21 Why V02 max is important for everyone

1:48 What does VO2 max testing look like?

5:30 What does VO2 max testing actually measure?

9:00 Time to get started!

11:23 What were the results?

18:40 How do you improve your VO2 max?

20:40 What negatively affects your VO2 max?

Curious what VO2 max testing looks like? Join Craig as he finds out what his VO2 max is! The truth is, VO2 max testing is important for everyone as it’s a great indicator of longevity!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

1:20 What causes this discomfort?

1:48 What are the biomechanics behind this condition?

2:46 Wake up that muscle and tendon with this exercise!

5:20 Time to start with isotonic to get the tissue moving!

9:30 Time to make that tissue reactive to get back to sport

10:40 Time to add in speed!

Dealing with Golfer’s Elbow? You’re in the right spot! Managing tendon-based discomfort takes commitment to a specific type of programming! Learn the secrets to tackling this type of discomfort and some exercises to start to manage it!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:18 Do we need to do a warm-up?

00:40 What is the point of a warm-up?

1:06 Don’t do too much of this before running!

1:28 We want to wake up our tendons and here is why!

2:41 Do these things to become a more efficient runner!

3:57 So what about cool-downs?

4:45 Stretches to do as a cool-down

6:40 Do this winning formula for a quality cool-down

What’s the truth behind doing warm-ups and cool-downs for running? Join Craig as he dives into what the research says and what personal experience has shown him regarding what works and what doesn’t!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:34 How many people deal with neck pain?

1:07 Start with this exercise address stiffness through your upper trap muscle

1:52 Get your pec muscles moving!

3:43 Time to get your deep neck flexors strong!

4:43 Too easy? Try this progression!

4:59 Don’t forget those neck extensors!

6:35 Try these additional exercises!

Dealing with neck stiffness? You’re not alone! Many individuals deal with neck stiffness and pain at some point in their life! Fortunately, we do know that conservative methods such as therapeutic exercise will help to alleviate neck stiffness! Try these exercises consistently to get started!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:22 Can we prevent an ACL injury?

00:44 What are the risk factors for ACL injury?

3:39 Let’s look at quad and hamstring strength

6:45 Hip strength and trunk control!

9:51 Landing mechanics and why they are important!

12:05 Work on reaction time

13:10 Work on pumping the brakes

Looking for ways to prevent ACL injury? Can we actually do this? Join Dr. Dorian as he dives into what we do know can help to decrease the risk of an ACL injury and some valuable exercises to get you there!

HOW: Get set up sitting in a chair with your partner behind you and to your side. Lace your fingers behind your neck and have your partner reach their front arm around your elevated elbows to support your arms and use them as a lever to assist with the motion. From here, have your partner place the palm of their hand in the middle of your back. As they push forward with their palm they will also pull your elbows up towards the ceiling to assist with promoting midback extension. 

 

FEEL: For the individual having the mobilization performed, you should feel a comfortable stretch through the midback region. You should not feel any pain or discomfort.

 

COMPENSATION: For the individual having the mobilization performed on them, avoid trying to assist. This should be a passive motion meaning that your muscles are doing no work. For the individual performing the mobilization, anchor your partners closest shoulder into your chest/stomach to assist as a a pivot point. Avoid doing the lifting and mobilization with your arms.

HOW: Get set up sitting in a chair sitting at a 90 degree angle from the back of the chair with your partner behind you. Cross your arms across your chest and have your partner reach around you and grab onto your outside elbow or shoulder. As your partner uses your elbow/shoulder to rotate you, have them place their hand on your midback and help to push you into the rotation. As your partner rotates you, breathe out and exhale at the end of the motion. 

 

FEEL :For the individual having the mobilization performed, you should feel a comfortable stretch through the midback region. You should not feel any pain or discomfort.

 

COMPENSATION: For the individual having the mobilization performed on them, avoid trying to assist. This should be a passive motion meaning that your muscles are doing no work. For the individual performing the mobilization, be sure to use your weight to assist with the rotation instead of just pulling with your arms, this will assist with making the mobilization easier. .

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:48 Low back pain with lifting or low back pain after lifting

1:09 What to do with low back pain while lifting

1:53 Look at your hip hinge with breath. Why? Find out!

3:25 Try the 4-4-4 method

4:12 Pain after lifting? Try this!

5:12 Do these long-term solutions

5:33 Try filming your session!

5:59 Take a peek at your endurance with this assessment

 

Dealing with back pain while lifting? Or maybe you are dealing with some soreness following lifting? Join Craig as he discusses a few tips to try to eliminate discomfort and an assessment that can help you identify how strong your back muscles are or aren’t!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:41 What causes patellar tendinopathy

1:27 These two things will help to prevent patellar tendinopathy

3:19 Load that patellar tendon!

4:36 Start with these strength exercises

6:14 What you are missing…plyometrics!

13:44 Takeaways

Want to prevent patellar tendinopathy? The crucial thing you could be missing from your training is plyometrics! Join Dorian as he dives into why load is important, how to appropriately load this tendon, and how to know when to progress or when to regress! You don’t want to miss all the knowledge bombs in this video!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:45 Let’s talk about the shoulder joint!

1:53 Have you tried force vector coupling exercises?

2:41 Start building stability at shoulder height

5:58 Try these more challenging exercises with body-on-arm movement

8:37 Work every muscle in every direction with this exercise!

9:00 Add in perturbations with this overhead exercise

Maybe you are coming back from an injury or are wanting to get stronger with overhead work? Then definitely give these exercises a try! Join Craig as he discusses the shoulder joint mechanics, good starting positions for training overhead stability, and what force vector coupling exercises are and WHY they are so important!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:46 Equipment you will need

1:06 Start with warming up the legs

1:29 What type of pickleball injuries do we see the most?

3:03 Prevent tennis elbow with this exercise!

4:00 Open up your hips and midback

5:09 Don’t forget to warm up the nervous system!

6:30 Get ready for performance!

Pickleball players do this warm-up! Warming up before sport is essential to avoid injuries! Join Arash as he walks you through a quick 5 minute routine to get your legs, arms, and hips ready to go!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:28 MCL anatomy and function

1:30 How do we injury our MCL?

2:30 Start with mobility in the early phase

3:40 Strengthen your groin muscle and here’s why!

5:03 This is a must-do single-leg exercise

7:22 Time to start dynamically strengthening your MCL

9:03 Build up power and force acceptance!

Dealing with an MCL injury? Here’s what you need to know about what the MCL does, why this helps dictate what rehab should look like, and what needs to be done to return to your prior level of function!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:21 What is Subacromial Pain Syndrome

1:28 What causes discomfort with Subacromial Pain Syndrome?

2:28 Try these self-assessments to see if you are dealing with Subacromial Pain Syndrome

5:03 Get started with this exercise for your rotator cuff

8:35 Start working on that overhead control

11:36 Start building up that strength and force production

13:16 Time to build overhead strength

14:43 Takeaways!

Dealing with Shoulder Impingement? Think again! Join Dorian as he discusses why Shoulder Impingement is no longer a thing, what could be causing your pain, and some exercises to help to get you back on track! Looking for more exercises to do for your shoulder discomfort? Check out our Rotator Cuff Reahb and Rotator Cuff Prehab program through the [P]rehab App: – https://theprehabguys.com/membership

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:48 Understand the biomechanics of cycling

2:37 The different phases of cycling, why are these important?

4:00 Stretches for the saddle & hip

6:46 Open up the front of your hips and low back with this one!

8:35 Stretches & exercises for the handlebars

11:20 Work on those neck and shoulder muscles

12:49 Exercises for the time spent in the pedals!

16:30 Try this strengthening exercise to stay injury free!

Feeling a bit tight after that ride? We’ve gotcha covered! Learn our favorite exercises for stretching out following cycling and more importantly WHY these stretches are key to your recovery!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:33 Why would you want to improve your running form?

00:55 How do we even measure running form? Find out!

3:00 Try this rule to improve your running economy

4:36 Plyometric exercises are where it is at!

6:06 Start with this exercise

6:59 Ready to progress? Start here!

9:18 Get started with our programming!

10:05 Get bouncy!

13:49 Let’s sum it up!

Want to become a better runner? We all are! In order to become a better runner you need to run but, there are also some very specific exercises you can do to improve your running economy. What is running economy? What exercises can you do? Join Craig as he jumps into all of this and more!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:44 What does the hip flexor do?

1:27 What do we need to train?

2:21 Get started with this exercise

5:14 This is a different take on a hip flexor exercise!

6:46 One of our favorites and here is why!

9:50 Let’s add in some speed and tempo for return to sport

 

Time to get strong hip flexors! Check out these hip flexor progressions to get strong. It’s important to have strong hip flexors for so many reasons as this muscle group helps to provide us with stability with upright posture. Get started with these exercises!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00: 24 Stop pulling your shoulder blades back and down and here is why!

1:05 Start with the wall slide for less load but lots of work

2:57 Work this muscle in scaption

3:47 Have you tried this dolphin pose exercise?

5:43 Try this regression if needed!

What’s the secret to overhead strength? Targeting your Serratus Anterior! This muscle plays a role in the upward rotation of your shoulder blade and plays a crucial role in healthy overhead mobility and strength! Get started with these exercises!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:28 Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome – what is it and do you have it?

1:09 Do this exercise to help! 2:41 Patellar tendinopathy – how do we get it?

3:13 Did someone say Spanish Squat?

04:45 Let’s talk meniscus injuries

05:48 Try this self-assessment!

06:34 Work on rotational control with this exercise

8:23 IT Band Syndrome symptoms!

09:19 One of our favorite exercises for IT Band Syndrome

10:35 Popliteus pain

11:46 Try this exercise!

Curious as to where that pesky knee pain is coming from? Join Dorian as he dives into some common causes of knee pain, identifies symptoms, and gives you one key exercise to begin with!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:25 What it means when you have a flat foot!

00:40 Do flat feet lead to pain and injury?

2:09 Do you know what position your foot rests in? Find out!

4:22 Do this exercise!

5:02 Short Foot exercise and why it’s important

6:50 What about foot orthotics?

9:24 Let’s dial in foot control with the hip muscles

13:13 This calf raise is a must do!

15:30 The most important exercise! Give it a try!

Have you been told that having flat feet will lead to pain and injury down the road? Think again! Join Craig as he busts this myth, shows you some exercises to work on to bulletproof your feet, and talks you through how to build a solid foundation!

HOW: Anchor a band low to the ground. Pull the band away from the anchor to tension it before placing it under the fat pad of your big toe. Lift one leg up into a march, maintaining your upright position. Next, extend your leg back while you shift your trunk forward. Repeat these motions for the prescribed time without losing the band.

 

FEEL: You will feel the inner arch of the foot working. You will also begin to feel surrounding foot and ankle muscles working as they work to maintain your upright position.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not claw your toes on the ground. Avoid side bending through the trunk and hiking the pelvis

HOW: Place a band around your ankles, slightly bend your knees, and hinge through your hips – this is the position you will be in throughout the exercise. Start with your feet hip width apart and step to the side. The trailing leg will follow to re-assume your starting position before you take your next step.

 

FEEL: You will feel the side of your glutes working. Due to the sustained quarter-squat position, you may also feel your quads working a bit.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid overstepping with the trailing leg and positioning it narrower than hip width apart – you will lose tension in the band. Avoid rocking back and forth through the trunk and hips as you step.

HOW: Grab a cushioned pad. Set up at a wall or post. Take a split stance position as far as you can from the wall while still keeping your front foot flat on the floor. Push your knee into the cushioned pad.
Sink down into a split squat position, getting 90 degrees of knee bend at the front and back leg. 

 

FEEL: You should feel the front and back leg quadriceps working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting your torso bend forward. Avoid letting the rear leg straighten.

HOW: Grab a bench or any elevated surface. Taking two steps away from the bench, set up in a half-kneeling position facing the bench. Transfer most of your weight to the front leg, getting the shin forward over the toes.  Push through the front foot moving upward and forward, finishing in a step up position onto the bench. The push off leg should finish in a heel rise position as well. Return to the half kneeling position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in your quadriceps and calves. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting your knee flex at the heel rise position. Avoid leaning your torso forward during the push off motion from half kneeling.

HOW: Start facing a wall with your hands on the wall for finger-tip support. Shift to one side to bias one leg – this is your starting position. Lift both heels off the ground at the same time while you maintain your weight shift onto the working leg. Return to your starting position before the next rep.

 

FEEL: You will feel both calves working, but the intensity will be higher on the biased side. The level of intensity will depend on how much of your weight you shift onto one leg (e.g. 60-90%).

 

COMPENSATION: Do not cut your heel raise short – move through the full range available to you. Avoid inverting the ankle, or the heel falling outward.

HOW: Grab a kettlebell or weight that is heavy enough that it is difficult to move. Set up in a kickstand position with the kettlebell to the inside of the front leg.
Hinging the hips back, reach with your opposite side arm encouraging rotation of the spine.
Cueing the hips to drive forward, begin to push the floor away from you. Hold the tension. 

 

FEEL:You should  feel your stance leg glute and hamstring working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid rounding the low back. Avoid bending the knees or squatting down.

HOW: Grab a bench or any elevated surface. Taking two steps away from the bench, set up in a split stance position facing away from the bench. Elevate the rear leg foot onto the bench, getting the contact point where the ankle hinges.
Keeping the chest tall, drop into the lunge position. Hold this position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel the front and back quadriceps working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the trunk bend forward. Avoid letting the front knee cave inward.

HOW: Grab a foam roller and a medicine ball. Set up facing away from the wall with the foam roller placed at the glutes.
Take a single leg stance position and with the medicine ball at shoulder height, drop the ball and catch it in a squat position.Hold for a count of one, before returning to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the trunk fall forward, Avoid letting the knee bend any further after catching the ball.

HOW: Anchor a band low to the ground. Pull the band away from the anchor to tension it before placing it under the fat pad of your big toe. Lift one leg up and hold a single leg balance for the prescribed time without losing the band.

 

FEEL: You will feel the inner arch of the foot working. You will also begin to feel surrounding foot and ankle muscles working as you extend your hold as they work to maintain your upright position.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not claw your toes on the ground. Avoid side bending through the trunk and hiking the pelvis.

HOW: Grab a medicine ball. Set up in a single leg stance position. Hold the ball in front of the body at the height of the shoulder.
Drop the ball and catch it in a single leg squat position, once again at the height of the shoulder.
Hold for a count of one. Return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the trunk fall forward, Avoid letting the knee bend any further after catching the ball.

HOW: Use a slantboard, weight plate, or any other sturdy object to prop your heel up. Place it against a wall to ensure contact between your back and the wall. Place one leg out and slide down into a wall sit. The further you slide down, the more challenging the exercise will be. Hold for the prescribed time.

 

FEEL: You will feel your quad of the standing leg working, as well as the side glute. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your back flat against the wall without hinging forward through the hips. Avoid a drop in the pelvis of the floating leg, as well as a sidebend of the trunk to either side. Keep the knee in line with the toes without caving it in.

HOW: Stand on a sturdy 2-6” box//platform pushed up against a squat rack. Hold a kettlebell behind your back as it will help cue an upright trunk position. Hold one leg out and in front of you with the heel floating in a half-squat position as if you’re going down stairs. Make sure your knee of the standing leg is moving over the toes. Hold for the prescribed time.

 

FEEL: You will feel the quad of the standing leg working, as well as the side glute.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not lose contact with the post your back is up against. Avoid dropping the pelvis on the side of the floating leg. Avoid caving the knee of the standing leg in.

HOW: Grab two kettlebells or weights that are heavy enough that they are difficult to move. Set up in a half kneeling position with the kettlebells to the inside and outside of the front leg.
Slide the shin of the front leg forward over the toes. With both arms, grab onto the kettlebells and get the spine tall. Begin to push the ground away from you, as if you want to stand straight up. Hold this tension not letting your body move.

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps of the front leg. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the heel rise off the ground. Avoid letting the torso fall forward.

HOW: Grab a medicine ball. Set up in a split stance position. Rotate the spine towards the front leg, and hold the ball to the side of the hip.
Drop the ball and catch it in a split squat position, once again to the side of the hip.
Hold for a count of one. Return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps of the front leg. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the trunk fall forward, Avoid letting the knee bend any further after catching the ball.

HOW: Begin in a deep split squat position, somewhat of a shorter stride length.
Keeping yourself in a squat position, push through the ground to jump to a low height.
Softly absorb in the deep squat position and continue on to the next jump.
The goal is to be quick but soft. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid coming out of the deep squat position. Avoid heavy impact into the floor.

HOW: Stand on a sturdy box/platform. Step forward with one leg and catch yourself in a split stance position while your trailing leg stays on the box. As you land, make sure you’re pushing your knee over the toes and assuming ~45º trunk angle. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the quad of the front leg working to slow yourself down upon landing. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid dropping the pelvis on the side of the trailing leg. Do not excessively hinge forward. Keep your knee in line with your foot and avoid caving it in.

HOW: Stand in front of a bench and move into a kickstand position with the toes of your kickstand leg resting comfortably on the ground. About 80% of your weight should be on your standing leg that you’re using to squat to the bench. Starting in a standing position, squat down allowing yourself to touch the bench before returning to the standing position.

 

FEEL: You should feel the quad of the standing leg working. You will also feel the side glute working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Do not excessively hinge through the hips. Avoid a pelvic drop from the kickstand leg. Keep your knee in line with your toes without allowing your knee to cave in.

HOW: Grab a medicine ball. Set up in a double leg stance position. Hold the ball in front of the body at the height of the shoulder.
Drop the ball and catch it in a squat position, once again at the height of the shoulder.
Hold for a count of one. Return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps of the front leg. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the trunk fall forward, Avoid letting the knee bend any further after catching the ball.

HOW: Grab a foam roller and a medicine ball. Set up facing away from the wall with the foam roller placed at the glutes.
Take a double leg stance position. With the medicine ball at shoulder height, drop the ball and catch it in a squat position, again at shoulder height Hold for a count of one, before returning to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the trunk fall forward, Avoid letting the knee bend any further after catching the ball.

HOW: Begin in a deep squat position. Keeping yourself in a squat position, push through the ground to jump to a low height.
Softly absorb in the deep squat position and continue on to the next jump.
The goal is to be quick but soft. 

 

FEEL: You should feel this in the quadriceps. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid coming out of the squat position. Avoid heavy impact into the floor.

HOW: Take a short stride stagger stance position with one foot slightly in front of the other. Rise up onto the toes.
Holding the heel rise position, begin to hop on the toes. Jump as high but also as quick as you can. 

 

FEEL: You should feel the calves working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the feet roll outward. Avoid letting the knees and hips bend. Keep the knees stiff and allow the motion to come strictly from your ankles.