Free ACL Injury Prevention Program offered to high schools

    The anterior cruciate ligament, commonly referred to as the ACL, is the largest and most critical of four ligaments that provide stability to the knee and enable it to function properly. An injury to the ACL can have devastating impact to an athlete’s ability to perform, often ending the athlete’s season. The good news is that there are exercises and specific intervention strategies to help avoid ACL injuries.      County Physical Therapy (CPT), which has been treating Aroostook County athletes for more than 20 years, is now offering their ACL Injury Prevention Program to area high schools at no cost. Under this free program, a physical therapist would deliver a 45-minute presentation to coaches, student-athletes, and parents at the school, with the goal of educating and informing on how to reduce the chances of getting a serious knee injury.
    CPT’s ACL Knee Injury Prevention Program is designed to demonstrate and instruct on specific exercises and techniques that have been proven to reduce the occurrence of knee injuries. The program is usually delivered during a pre-season clinic, and, to be effective, is performed throughout the season.  Support and commitment by the coaches in carving out 10-15 minutes of practice time a few days a week is vital to achieve the long-term benefits.  
    CPT Founder Mark Rossignol explains some of the background of the program.  “Every year we treat many sports injuries, but lately there seems to have been an increase in severe ACL injuries – especially among high school girls. We have also received a lot of questions from coaches, student-athletes, and their parents about how to avoid knee injuries.     We hope that by offering this program, we can have a positive long-term impact. We obviously can’t guarantee that no one will ever get a knee injury, but over time, we would expect a reduction in frequency and severity.”  
    CPT has targeted the upcoming winter sports season to roll out the Free ACL Program. Coaches, student-athletes and their parents should contact their school’s athletic director about whether their school will be taking advantage of the Free ACL Program. Athletic directors should contact Rossignol at 498-6334 or by e-mail at ACLprogram@countypt.com to add their school to the schedule. More information is also available at www.countypt.com/acl.