Suppose you tear your ACL? Bad news.
Now, suppose you tear your ACL and go to the Wisconsin Performance Institute after surgery. Better news.
WPI is not your typical physical-therapy facility. They have high-end equipment and people who know how to use it to speed your recovery, with the goal of bringing you back to a level of health and performance that’s better than what you enjoyed prior to your injury.
Is better possible?
Better than you were before? How can WPI do that?
It starts with the people. WPI is staffed with people who believe that everyone should be treated like a world-class athlete. And they follow through on that belief by treating you like a world-class athlete.
WPI staff has worked with world-class athletes, so they know what they’re talking about. And the same equipment and technology they use with world-class athletes is also used with people who only have one thing in common with world-class athletes, and that’s a torn ACL.
Speaking of technology, here’s some of the tech that WPI brings to every ACL patient:
Noraxon EMG
If you’ve followed WPI, you’ve already heard about Noraxon and its revolutionary motion-capture and analysis software.
Well, Noraxon also has state-of-the-art electromyography (EMG) equipment that measures muscle response to a nerve’s stimulation of the muscle.
EMG signals are recorded by electrodes on the skin surface above the muscle. They help WPI staff assess muscle function in real time and understand how well the brain and musculoskeletal system are coordinated.
This type of testing was first used in biomechanics research, but it’s found a home in sports performance and injury rehabilitation – and it’s especially useful with ACL tears.
Wearable 3D Motion Sensors
After an ACL tear, restoring good body mechanics is paramount.
By attaching motion sensors to the body, WPI experts can analyze your motion in three dimensions, use that to improve how you move, and track progress.
Seeing progress is one of the most important facets of post-ACL recovery. Motion sensors help patients see their progress, which improves motivation and ultimately outcomes.
Owens Recovery Science BFR
BFR stands for “blood flow restriction,” and as its name implies, it reduces blood flow to a specific part of the body.
Why would you restrict blood flow to an area recovering from surgery? Reducing blood flow and combining it with low-intensity exercise can produce results similar to much more strenuous activities.
This helps build muscle strength in the area around the knee without having to use heavy weights or other means that put undue stress on the repaired ligament.
Hand-Held Dynamometers
Dynamometers measure force, and as a result, they’re used everywhere from automobiles to ski lifts – but they have medical applications, too.
In physical therapy, dynamometers measure the force in the leg. Basically, the more force that someone can apply through their leg after surgery, the stronger the muscles surrounding the knee, and the more the knee is moving towards recovery.
Bertec Dual Force Plates
Athletes, coaches, and trainers use force plates to measure the amount of force going into the ground during movement or exercise.
Force plates give professionals insights into how well each leg is producing and absorbing force. This can be used to track progress as well as improve performance.
Bertec force plates lead the industry in the quality of their electronics and their ability to precisely measure forces.
They’re a vital piece of the state-of-the-art technology WPI brings to every ACL rehab patient they work with
What the Technology Means
Technology for its own sake is worthless. At WPI, the tech is employed to provide insights into your muscle activity, ground-force reactions, and your body’s precise movements, all throughout your rehabilitation.
The benefits of this are:
- Faster recovery times
- Personalized treatment plans
- Reduced injury risk
- Enhanced progress tracking
- Improved performance and a better end result
And isn’t that what everyone wants from their ACL rehab?
A Better Experience
When technology is used by experts to produce better outcomes, that’s pretty special. But it doesn’t mean much if you’re not treated with compassion and respect at every step.
WPI delivers on that front, too. While their mission is to treat every athlete like a world-class athlete, they take that one step further by declaring that everyone is an athlete.
Occasional runner? Athlete. Pickleballer? Athlete. Gardener? Athlete. World-record holder? Athlete.
Treating everyone as a world-class athlete is a commitment to the highest level of care and a single-minded quest for the best outcome.
The end result is merely an outgrowth of that endeavor.
Track Record
WPI has the track record to back up their claims.
Talk to some of the athletes they’ve helped on their ACL journey. See if they wouldn’t do it again – not the ACL tear, of course, but rehabilitation with WPI.
And the cool thing is they’re learning and innovating all the time. Their approach to ACL rehab may be totally different five years from now. But you can rest assured it will be at the cutting edge and will reflect the latest technology and science have to offer.
You Have a Choice
While many facilities have tools, none in the state combine them in the comprehensive, customized manner that WPI does. This cohesive use of technology ensures patients not only recover but excel.
If you’re afraid that you can’t access that category-leading rehab because you had your surgery somewhere other than SPO, don’t worry – you have a choice.
Where you had your surgery doesn’t dictate where you rehab. You have the freedom and the right to choose. Why not choose the best?
Stay Connected
If you’re starting your rehabilitation journey, or if you’re planning to tear your ACL sometime in the future and simply want to be prepared (just kidding), it’s easy to stay connected to WPI.
Follow them on Instagram or Facebook for the latest from their experts.
We hope you never tear your ACL. But if you do, we hope you rehab with SPO and WPI.
The difference is unmistakable.
