ACL Rehab

If you have sustained an ACL injury and are planning your post-operative rehabilitation, you need to ensure that you seek out a physical therapist who not only will return your full range-of-motion and strength but will also uncover and correct any movement technique abnormalities that may have contributed to your ACL injury.

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Ivy Rehab / Therapy Services / Athletic Therapy / ACL Rehab

What you should know about ACL rehab.

Every year in the United States, between 100,000 and 200,000 ACL injuries occur, with reconstruction surgeries performed for nearly 100,000 to 200,000 cases annually. Athletes commonly suffer ACL tears due to sudden pivots, jumps, and improper landings while participating in sports such as soccer, basketball, and football. The majority—approximately 70%—of these injuries happen in non-contact situations, meaning the athlete’s own movement places the excessive force on the ACL.​

While female athletes are at a considerably higher risk than males, most recent studies report the risk is around five times greater (not ten), depending on sport and age group. Factors such as anatomy, neuromuscular control, and hormonal differences contribute to this disparity.​

Unfortunately, even after ACL surgery, athletes remain highly susceptible to a second ACL injury. The reinjury rate is estimated between 15% and 25%; among young athletes who return to sports, rates can approach 30% within two years. Long-term, about 30% of individuals who experience an ACL tear will develop knee osteoarthritis within 10–15 years.​

The encouraging news is that many ACL injuries are preventable. Sports physical therapists utilize specific training techniques to teach athletes how to jump, land, and pivot more safely—reducing force on the ACL and lowering the likelihood of injury. These programs not only minimize risk but also enhance overall performance by improving movement efficiency.​

If you are planning for post-operative rehabilitation, seek a physical therapist who will restore your range of motion and strength, and analyze your movement patterns to address any potential causes of your injury. The ultimate goal is to help you return to play safely, run, jump, and cut in ways that protect your knees and reduce the risk of reinjury.

If you have sustained an ACL injury, request an appointment today to learn more about our ACL Injury Prevention program and start your path to a safer recovery..

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Ivy Rehab ACL Return-to-Sport program.

If you have sustained an ACL injury and are planning your post-operative rehabilitation, you need to ensure that you seek out a physical therapist who not only will return your full range-of-motion and strength but will also uncover and correct any movement technique abnormalities that may have contributed to your ACL injury. Our goal at Ivy Rehab is not only to get you back on the field, but to train you to run, jump, land, and cut in a manner that protects your knees and minimizes the risk of a second ACL injury. Second ACL injuries happen in as much as 30% of young athletes who return to sport after undergoing ACL surgery. The Ivy Rehab ACL Return-to-Sport program is part of a comprehensive ACL rehabilitation approach that takes the recovering athlete through a series of targeted, progressive tests designed to assess and improve your movement mechanics. This approach supports a safe and optimal return to sport, significantly reducing your chances of reinjury.

Some of the dynamics you’ll learn include:

  • Proper warm-up methods
  • Speed and agility techniques
  • Technique drills for jumping, landing, pivoting and cutting to avoid injury
  • Strength and flexibility training

Our sports physical therapists have helped professional athletes, coaches, and students learn the techniques proven to help prevent ACL injuries. Advanced movement assessments and personal one-on-one attention can help you return to or exceed your pre-injury level and reach your peak performance after ACL surgery, all while preventing second and third ACL injuries from happening in the future.

Request your appointment today at an Ivy Rehab Network location near you to learn more about our ACL Injury Prevention program.

What You’ll Learn in the ACL Return-to-Sport Program

Our sports physical therapists have worked with professional athletes, coaches, and student-athletes to deliver proven injury prevention strategies. Our approach includes:

  • Proper warm-up methods
  • Speed and agility techniques
  • Drills for jumping, landing, pivoting, and cutting
  • Strength and flexibility training
  • Education on movement efficiency and joint protection

With advanced movement assessments and one-on-one attention, our goal is to help you return to (or exceed) your pre-injury level while building long-term protection against re-injury.

FAQs

Can physical therapy prevent ACL injuries?

Yes. Our ACL Injury Prevention Program uses evidence-based training techniques to teach safer movement patterns that reduce the stress on the ACL. Many ACL injuries are preventable with proper mechanics and strength training.

How long is the recovery after ACL surgery with therapy?

Most athletes return to sport within 6 to 9 months, but recovery time varies based on individual progress and goals. Ivy Rehab’s return-to-sport testing ensures you’re fully ready before you return to high-demand activities.

How soon should I start physical therapy after ACL surgery?

You can typically begin physical therapy within a few days after surgery. Early rehab is critical to reduce swelling, restore range of motion, and prevent stiffness. Your Ivy Rehab therapist will work closely with your surgeon’s guidelines to tailor your plan.

Speed up your recovery.

Schedule an appointment with an Ivy Rehab clinic near you.

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References

  • ACL Tear Statistics: Reports 2025 – WifiTalents: https://wifitalents.com/acl-tear-statistics/
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Knee Injury – StatPearls: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499848/
  • Trends in the Treatment of ACL Tears in 2025 – Dr. Tingstad Presentation (PDF): https://www.inlandortho.net/hubfs/Dr.%20Tingstad%20Presentation%20PDF.pdf?hsLang=en
  • Analysis: Serious knee injury among teen athletes grows 26% – ProjectPlay: https://projectplay.org/news/2023/11/22/analysis-serious-knee-injury-among-teen-athletes-grows-26
  • When it comes to ACL injury, a dollar of prevention is worth more – Oregon State University: https://health.oregonstate.edu/news-and-stories/2025-03/when-it-comes-acl-injury-dollar-prevention-worth-more-seven-dollars-cure

Check out some of our 4 and 5 star reviews

Excellent4.8★★★★★ review us on ★★★★★ I had injuries in the past working for the city of Philadelphia, andI was going to other rehab centers with slow results.*****THE MOST incredible experience I had was IVY REHABOn Delaware Ave. Philadelphia. Pennsylvania.Amanda and Christine are extremely knowable with the process with making your body right in the healing process.The staff includes Terry and the others who are extremely kind and helpful.I totally recommend this location due to fact these individuals know what they’re doing along with their coaching advise and the care they provide.Ivy rehab formally known as Progress really cares.5 stars ratingThere’s no place like home and that’s what it felt like going through the process to get better.thanks to all albert z. PFDResponse from the ownerThank you for sharing this with us! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Philadelphia – Delaware Ave ★★★★★ Matt is amazing! The staff is wonderful too! This is my second time seeing Matt as a therapist, the first time after a shoulder surgery and now for my lower back. My shoulder is better than what anyone thought it would be. Even my surgeon can’t believe the range of motion I was able to accomplish! How often do you hear that? If you need a therapist to really help you get better and cares about you, this is the place. I wouldn’t want anyone other than Matt and his team to help me get back to where I need to be!Response from the ownerWe value your feedback, thank you for your kind words! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Monroe ★★★★★ My grandfather had the best experience here! Cesar, Natalie, and Dan go above and beyond for their patients. Our dog Dante absolutely loved them too!! I highly recommend Excel!Response from the ownerThank you for sharing this with us! – The team at Excel Physical Therapy, Englewood Cliffs ★★★★★ Over the years, my husband and I have had therapy for various conditions from Bob Fauske in the Princeton office, and we think he is an extraordinary physical therapist! Bob is deeply knowledgeable about human anatomy and how and why it can malfunction and cause pain. He provides persuasive scientific explanations for why body parts are not working well and effective therapeutic exercises that have rectified or ameliorated our problems. Bob has a keen understanding of where to identify the physical locus of a problem, and he uses his strong hands to perform highly therapeutic massages that reach deep down to loosen tight muscles and help other internal body parts. Bob works with his clients to help them achieve their goals. Most recently, I had therapy with him for 11 months to enable me to recover from back surgery to relieve four pinched nerves and ameliorate a “drop foot” condition that created numbness in one foot, which made walking difficult and jogging impossible. Largely thanks to the therapeutic program designed by Bob, I met my three goals of being able to walk, hike, and jog again. And when I met those goals, Bob wisely told me it was time to stop coming to therapy—which was hard for me to give up because it was so enormously beneficial for me! My husband and I heartily recommend Bob to all our friends and acquaintances who need PT.Response from the ownerThank you for the great review, we really appreciate it! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Princeton ★★★★★ So thankful for Ivy Rehab!! They are in a great location, easy to work with, make scheduling so easy, and have helped make my body stronger. Would highly recommend!Response from the ownerIt’s great to hear this feedback! Thank you for taking the time to share your review! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Comstock Park ★★★★★ Ivy Rehab has a wonderful staff and provides excellent care. Everybody is very friendly and welcoming. They are very good at what they do and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great physical therapist!Response from the ownerWe value your feedback, thank you for the kind words! – The team at Ivy Rehab PT, Kokomo ★★★★★ The entire staff is wonderful. Ebony is the sweetest. She was always so kind and welcoming when we arrived to our appointments. Johnathan, Josh, Christian and Aaron were amazing also. Johnathan was our main therapist. He was exceptional. Johnathan explained the entire process to us and was always available to answer any questions we may have. 💯 satisfaction. Thank you!!!Response from the ownerThank you for the great review, we really appreciate it! – The team at Excel Physical Therapy, Westfield ★★★★★ Arvan and Paige and everyone at Ivy Rehab are friendly knowledgeable and excellent therapists. I would recommend IVY in North Arlington NJ to anyone who needs physical therapyResponse from the ownerWe’re thrilled you had such a positive experience, thank you! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy – North Arlington ★★★★★ The entire staff were helpful and friendly. All therapists were skilled, kind and knowledgeable.I am very pleased with my progress. I feel stronger since beginning therapy. I understand the need for continuing my program at home. I appreciated the teaching I received to help me understand my diagnosis.Response from the ownerThat’s wonderful to hear – thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us! – The team at Synergy Rehab and Wellness, Staunton ★★★★★ Excel is beyond Excellent as a facility, my therapist Natasha who I have only gone to twice is a magical healer par excellence , not only is she so knowledgeable on the modalities of therapy but also genuinely wants to get me back on my feet as soon as possible; the front desk is also so helpful and courteous, I am very grateful that I found an amazing therapist like Natasha, my only regret is that had I known of her magical abilities I wouldn’t have not wasted my time going anywhere else, Thank you Natasha for being such a fantastic healer I am very confident and feel good about my chances of recovery given that I am going to the best therapist in Bergen county, in NJ and for all you know in all of the U.S and probably the entire worldI have been coming to excel for 8 weeks now and wanted to update my review. This place is beyond amazing, everyone I have interacted is amazingly helpful and knowledgeable of the modalities of therapy.NATASHA continues to be one of the greatest therapists ever, and also a great recovery coach that has given me invaluable advice on my path to recovery Additionally LAUREN the director of the facility has magical healing abilities, a very calm demeanor and a great sense of style and panache.I would be remiss if I didn’t express my gratitude to MARIE who is always so helpful and creative in scheduling (making sure that i and now my son are able to get the treatment we need)A special shout out to the amazing ie Joe, my boy Juan Carlos, Patrick V, Nick (Nico) all amazingly knowledgeable and wonderful coaches and trainers.I feel like part of the family at excel, if you have any injuries or need any kind of rehabilitation do not think twice – call excel right away.Response from the ownerThank you for your kind words; we appreciate your feedback! – The team at Excel Physical Therapy – Cresskill ★★★★★ I’ve gone to IVY physical therapy for a few years now. I go in my back act up. I do the physical therapy because I do not want surgery and I do not want shots. And the physical therapy that they give me works. They gave me a list of exercises to do at home, which I do but sometimes life just gets in the way and I can’t do it and I need a jumpstart. So the doctor sends me to physical therapy to do it all over again. I have spinal stenosis in my lower back. They helped me so much they Understand when I explain things to them. And the people are just great they’re friendly. They’re courteous. They’re helpful.Response from the ownerWe’re thrilled you had such a positive experience, thank you! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy – New Hyde Park ★★★★★ I’ve had an excellent experience with my physical therapy sessions. From the very first visit, the team made me feel comfortable and cared for. The therapists are extremely knowledgeable, patient, and attentive — they take the time to explain each exercise and ensure proper form.Within a few weeks, I noticed a significant improvement in my pain, strength, and mobility. The environment is always clean, positive, and well-organized, and the front desk staff is professional and accommodating when scheduling appointments.Special thanks to all therapist and staff for their personalized approach and constant encouragement — it truly made a difference in my recovery journey. I highly recommend this place to anyone seeking quality care and real resultsResponse from the ownerIt’s always wonderful to hear such kind feedback , we appreciate you! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy – North Arlington ★★★★★ I can’t say enough good about the team at Ivy Rehab PT on West River! I was seen by all of the PTs there (Emily, Haley and Kyle) and they’re all knowledgeable, competent, kind, good communicators, and great at adapting and problem solving. Brooklyn who does all of the scheduling and billing is so helpful, kind and figures out anything that’s thrown at her. I’ve been to PT a few other times/places, and this has been my favorite experience so far. I hope I don’t need PT again, but if I do, I’ll definitely come back here.Response from the ownerThank you for your kind words; we appreciate your feedback! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Comstock Park ★★★★★ I would highly recommend Excel PT and specifically this location. Antonio and Angelo were fantastic. Both are extremely professional and knowledgeable. They actually made going to PT enjoyable. You can tell they really care about helping their patients. Everyone in the office including the aides and the receptionist are all very friendly and helpful.Response from the ownerHi Vincent – thank you so much for your kind review! We’re so happy to hear about your experience with the team at our Englewood Cliffs office and appreciate your recommendation. <3 ★★★★★ I worked with Sean and his assistants and highly recommend him. Sean not only set me up on the exercises, but he clearly explained what the purpose was and the part of the body that was being benefited. Sean also was attentive to how I was doing the exercise to make sure I was doing it properly even working with other patients! Also, everyone in the front office was courteous and helpful in booking appointments.Response from the ownerThank you so much for your positive feedback, it means the world to us! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy – Island Park ★★★★★ I am so impressed with all the support and attention that I received from the team at ivy rehab in south Norfolk. Jamie , Cierra and Kat were the best. I had a double knee replacement and the helped me y get back on my feet and back to my normal routine in no time. I was so thankful for them all and would recommend them to anyone that need help getting back to their normal routine. Thanks so muck guy you aer all the best.Response from the ownerThank you for taking the time to leave such thoughtful feedback, we’re grateful! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy – Chesapeake – South Norfolk  ★★★★★ I just finished up 10+ weeks of physical therapy at Ivy Rehab in Monroe and could not be happier with my experience. Matt, Olivia and Amanda are the PT dream team! I started with Matt who did my initial evaluation and I immediately knew I was in good hands. He listened to me, he got was I was saying, and he created a custom program to fit my needs. I am really active (weight lifting and running) and it was really important to me to get back to my active lifestyle. My injury is known to have a slow healing process, but I was seeing improvements each week following Matt’s plan, so I was motivated to stick with it. I also got to work with Olivia a number of times and it was so helpful to work with a fellow runner and fitness fanatic. Amanda oversees the front desk and all of the administrative stuff runs so smoothly because of her attention to detail and customer service skills. I am doing so much better now and back to my life and active lifestyle. And, they gave me a great post-PT plan to follow with exercises that will help me avoid re-injury. Go to Ivy Rehab in Monroe for experienced physical therapists who are invested in your success and fantastic, friendly customer service.Response from the ownerYour kind words brighten our day – thank you for sharing! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy – Monroe MI ★★★★★ I came here for the first time recently with my nephew for one of his sessions and I can see why he likes coming here!Friendly and hospitable staff, lots of positivity, a fun atmosphere, and genuine care for the kids and their wellbeing.I hope I can take him again soon!Response from the ownerIt’s great to hear this feedback! Thank you for taking the time to share your review! – The team at Ivy Rehab for Kids, Canton ★★★★★ Over the course of a few months, I worked with Matthew twice a week to address debilitating knee pain. I had seen other physical therapists before, but his approach was far more effective. He guided me through targeted exercises that helped my pain and, after a few months, provided a clear at-home plan so I could continue independently. Throughout the process, I was consistently impressed by his diligence, care, kindness, and exceptional skill.Response from the ownerThank you so much for sharing your thoughts, we appreciate you! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy – Brooklyn – Fort Greene ★★★★★ my physical therapist Nick Rivera, has born extremely helpful during my therapy sessions, i.e., explaining everything while demonstrating what I need to do when I am at home. Everyone there seems to really connect with their patientsResponse from the ownerYour kind words brighten our day – thank you for sharing! – The team at Excel Physical Therapy – Cresskill ★★★★★ Have been to many Physical Therapist’s over the years. Zach by far has impressed me with his level of knowledge and understanding of his field. I too work in the medical field and have much respect for his professionalism and rapport he has established with my daughter regarding her sports injury. He has really listened to her even at 16 and valued what has impacted her regarding her injury and targeted her plan to helping her achieve her goals and it’s working!!Response from the ownerThank you for the great review, we really appreciate it! – The team at Ivy Rehab PT, Comstock Park js_loader
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