Return to sport
For athletes coming back from an injury or surgery. We plan the way back one stage at a time, and we tell your physician, athletic trainer and coach what we see at each stage.
This care is for you if
You have been sent to physical therapy after surgery and want a plan for getting back to your sport
You were hurt in a game and still feel it when you cut, jump or throw
You came back once and it did not hold
Your coach or athletic trainer wants to see more before you play
Return to play, stage by stage
A date on a calendar doesn't tell you whether a knee or a shoulder is ready. These stages do. No stage has a date: each one ends when the tests say it does.
Step 1: Settle it down
The injured area calms down and you start moving again, within what you can tolerate.
Step 2: Rebuild
Strength, range of motion and balance, built up in steps your therapist adjusts as you respond.
Step 3: Test
We measure how you move and compare it with your other side and with what your sport asks.
Step 4: Practice
Drills from your sport, such as cutting, landing and throwing, in a controlled setting.
Step 5: Play
A gradual return to practice and then to games, agreed with your physician, athletic trainer and coach.
What a visit looks like
What we do
Your therapist treats the injured area and builds strength, movement and control around it, then adds the movements your sport asks for. We test as we go and share the results with the people around you.
What decides how many visits
What your therapist finds, how the area responds, how you do on the tests and what your physician says. Your therapist talks it through with you at each visit.
How it is paid for
With your insurance or by paying yourself. We tell you what to expect before your first visit.
How fees workWhen to see a doctor first
Tell us right away about numbness, a joint that gives way, swelling that spreads or pain that wakes you at night. We may ask you to see a physician first.
What to bring
Shoes and clothes for your sport, any notes or imaging reports from your physician or surgeon, and your athletic trainer's name.
- Chest pain, trouble breathing, a sudden severe headache or pain, new weakness or numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a fall with a head injury needs emergency care now. Call 911.
Questions about this care
Who clears me to play?
Your physician decides when you are medically cleared. We share what we measure with your physician, athletic trainer and coach. We do not set a return date.
What if it hurts when I start practicing again?
Tell your therapist and your athletic trainer the same day. We look at what changed, adjust the plan and, if needed, ask your physician to take another look.
Book a first visit
Pick a time online or call the front desk. Your therapist asks about your sport when you come in.