The ACL Athlete Podcast
The ACL Athlete Podcast brings you everything you need to know about ACL injuries. This podcast creates discussion around the ACL injury itself, research, rehab, performance, return to sport, mindset, you name it. I'm your host, Dr. Ravi Patel, Performance Physical Therapist, Coach, and 2x ACL athlete. I invite you to join me as we explore insights, expertise, personal stories, and experiences - from the athlete to the healthcare professional to the coach, so that we, together, can raise the standard of care and revolutionize the field of ACL injuries and rehab.
Episodes
221 episodes
221 | How to Build Your ACL Athlete Dashboard - Measure What Matters
In this episode, we dive into the building your ACL athlete dashboard - a big part of pulling from the quote: "what gets measured gets managed". We go hard on this one talking about the dangers of the wrong things, focusing on very simple 3 ste...
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50:40
220 | The One Question Every ACL Athlete Must Ask Their PT
In this episode, we share the number one question to vet and see if your physical therapist/rehab provider is legit for you and your ACL rehab. We break down why this is so important, how it can tell you a lot, the typical process ACLers go thr...
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38:57
219 | I'm Having Surgery: Pulling Back the Curtain - Part 2
In part 2 of this 2-part podcast episode series, I discuss an upcoming surgery I'm having. I pull back the curtain on my own journey getting here, being super open and transparent about my whole process, the challenges I've faced, and how I cam...
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59:16
218 | I'm Having Surgery: Pulling Back the Curtain - Part 1
In this episode, I discuss an upcoming surgery I'm having. I pull back the curtain on my own journey getting here, being super open and transparent about my whole process, the challenges I've faced, and how I came to this decision. I'm putting ...
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35:20
217 | 8 Ways to Finally Get Rid of Swelling After ACL Surgery - Part 2
In part 2 of this 2-part podcast episode series, we continue the conversation on our 8 proven strategies to help with swelling management in ACL rehab. This is after managing so many swollen knees over the years and ACLers including myself. It ...
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32:06
216 | 8 Ways to Finally Get Rid of Swelling After ACL Surgery - Part 1
In part 1 of this 2-part podcast episode series, we dive into all things swelling management. We discuss the background on swelling and the why, how it influences the recovery and our quads, and then we start tapping into the 8 proven strategie...
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31:32
215 | The 0-100% Assessment: A Simple Tool for Addressing Gaps + Confidence in ACL Rehab
In this episode, we dive into the 0-100% assessment I use with all of my ACLers. It's a very simple tool to get context with where ACLers are as we zoom out. This then fuels the next questions which has SO much value in helping us adapt the gam...
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17:36
214 | When Should You Schedule ACL Surgery?
In this episode, we provide guidance on when you should schedule your ACL surgery. While it might seem super straight forward to just jump in the next open spot and get it over with, there might be a better path to give you your best chance. We...
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19:41
213 | Keeping Your "Floor" High: Maintaining Fitness During ACL Rehab
In this episode, we discuss how to keep your floor high after ACL injury and surgery. We often find that ACLers go from one extreme, moving and being active, to the other, resting and not doing anything. There's an opportunity here. And we talk...
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20:26
212 | Can You Prevent A Cyclops Lesion in ACL Rehab?
In this episode, we answer whether you can prevent a cyclops lesion from happening in ACL rehab. We give some background on a cyclops lesion, theories behind it, factors we see contributing to one forming, answering the question, and creating a...
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21:12
211 | Breaking Down the 3-Step Return to Performance Continuum After ACL Injury
In this episode, we cover the 3-step return to performance continuum in detail. We explore the most important question to answer for our ACLers, the RTP continuum, 4 guiding principles that anchor this process, determining if an athlete is read...
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18:41
210 | Four Whole Years + Four Lessons Learned
In this episode, we celebrate 4 years of The ACL Athlete Podcast. We talk about the journey over the past 4 years and what we've accomplished together as a community. The incredible messages, the reach, and 4 lessons I've taken away from this e...
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27:11
209 | Torn ACL? How to Process Your ACL Injury
In this episode, we cover how to initially process your ACL injury after its happened. As someone who's torn his ACL twice, it can be a lot to take in. This episode pulls back the curtain on how that experience felt from ACL #1 to ACL #2 and a ...
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16:37
208 | Should You Get A Second Opinion For ACL Surgery?
In this episode, we answer the question on whether you should get a second opinion for your ACL surgery. We discuss some assumptions that are made during this process, putting yourself into a few different scenarios for comparison, making a cho...
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21:12
207 | 10 Key Strategies For Better Sleep After ACL Surgery
In this episode, we dive into 10 key strategies that will help you sleep better immediately after ACL surgery. We dive into what things to avoid, what to look for, ways to manage the symptoms, positioning, protecting the site, setting up your e...
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26:27
206 | The .300 Mindset: Embracing Progress Over Perfection in ACL Rehab
In this episode, we dive into the .300 mindset. One that I think many of you will resonate with. We over strive for perfection as humans or these all-or-nothing mentalities. This mindset helps us reset our expectations, especially in such a lon...
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8:44
205 | Never Zero: Building Momentum in ACL Rehab
In this episode, we cover the Never Zero mindset and how it's key in this ACL rehab process. We dive into how Newton's first law and this mindset connect, how momentum - even just a little - matters a lot, the nonlinearity of ACL rehab, and som...
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11:56
204 | Gains Over Gaps: Shifting Your Mindset in ACL Rehab
In this episode, we dive into this topic about the gap and the gain. I really love this concept and it's a big one in ACL rehab. It's easy to look at what's ahead. Here, we share an ACLer breaking down, redirecting towards the gain vs. gap mind...
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19:29
203 | How to Design Effective ACL Programs Using the 80/20 Rule
In this episode, we cover the 80/20 rule and how this can be incredibly effective in helping design efficient, personalized, and effective ACL programs. We dive into this rule (or also known as the Pareto Principle), how this applies to modern ...
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14:55
202 | The KPI-Driven ACL Athlete: Anchoring Your Process to Criteria, Not Time
In this episode, we dive into comparing time vs. criteria in the ACL rehab process. We talk about how things have been done, how that might get us into trouble, and how setting up criteria and targets can be an absolute game-changer in this pro...
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22:16
201 | Redefining the Older ACL Athlete: Does Age Matter?
In this episode, we are breaking down some barriers around the perception of the older ACL athlete. We dive into how older ACLers might be treated differently, an older ACLer's story, building your ACL team appropriately, knowing when you need ...
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21:45
200 | AnnKNEEversary - The Little Moments
In this episode, we have our annual AnnKNEEversary episode. This is where we take a deep dive on a theme, and this year, it's about the little moments. Life and ACL rehab can feel like it's trying to get to the next thing. For this episode, we ...
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23:14
199 | Avoiding the Range of Motion Regression in ACL Rehab: Key Self-Tests for Maintenance
In this episode, we cover range of motion regressions that might happen during ACL rehab. ACLers might achieve their target ROM and then move on to the next without ever revisiting. Sometimes this may lead to a regression. We tackle some ways t...
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22:56
198 | Changing Seasons, Changing Goals: How to Adapt in ACL Rehab
In this episode, we discuss how to be adaptive in the ACL rehab process. Life things will come up, sometimes you'll have more time, sometimes less, and different seasons come and go, which means goals and the plan needs to adjust with it. This ...
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31:27
197 | "How Are You (Really) Doing?" Navigating the Emotional Check-Ins During ACL Rehab
In this episode, we dive into how to handle the question "how are you doing" in ACL rehab. While it might seem straight forward, this process is long. And, there are times where you won't feel like answering this question. But, we need to make ...
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21:26