Twin Boro Physical Therapy in Millburn is a convenient and affordable way for residents of New Jersey who live or work in Millburn to receive high-quality rehabilitative treatment for the knee. At Twin Boro Physical Therapy, we employ expert hand therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists to ensure our patients have access to comprehensive care for outstanding results.
With 27 convenient locations across 16 counties, Twin Boro Physical Therapy is the largest private physical therapy network in New Jersey. At each of our locations, we utilize state-of-the-art equipment and rehabilitation methods. We are continually paying attention to the latest science and incorporating new techniques into our treatment programs. When you work with us, you have access to the latest care methods available to achieve the best outcomes with the fastest recovery times.
Knee Injury Rehabilitation for Gymnasts
Gymnastics is a sport that uses the entire body, and weakness in even one area can quickly become apparent during practice and when learning new skills. Because of the impact on the knees from landing and jumping, in addition to the twisting movements in tumbling, knee injuries can be common. In fact, research has shown that up to ¾ of gymnastics injuries are located in the ankle, hip, and knee areas.
When rehabilitating a knee injury in gymnastics, progressively building on plyometric exercises is important to build impact capacity and avoid future injuries. While building impact capacity can be time-consuming and frustrating at times, it helps to avoid a lot of stress when returning to the gym.
Here are a few of our favorite plyometric exercises to help rehabilitate knee injuries for gymnasts:
- Small Hops. As can be assumed by the name, small hops are literally staying in one place and jumping up and down softly. This is a great way to help prime the knees for larger impacts later in training and warm up the knees. Small hops can also be done side-to-side or forward and back. If there is pain during small hops, it is a good indicator that the knee is not ready to return yet to normal tumbling.
- Stick-It Hurdle Hops. For this exercise, you want to jump over a small object or hurdle and stick the landing on the other side. As gymnasts know, sticking the landing is a huge part of gymnastics, but bringing high levels of momentum to a sudden stop puts lots of force on the knees. To warm up the knee and help to prevent injury in practice, practicing hurdle hops and sticking the landing are a great way to assess how your body is feeling.
- Box Jumps. For this exercise, you will adjust the height of the box to what is comfortable for you. You will then vertically jump upwards and stick the landing on the box. After this, you will jump from the box to the floor and stick the landing once more. This exercise incorporates vertical force and allows you to progressively build height and help condition the knee to withstand more impact.
Let’s Begin!
Physical therapy can help people of all ages recover from injuries and generally improve their ease of movement. Our patients come to us from all over New Jersey to benefit from our unique approach to individualized care. To get started today, residents of Millburn should contact our location in Millburn by calling 973-258-1900 or visiting our website.
