My FAVORITE Return to Run Progressions After Injury

By dpope2020

March 7, 2025

ACL, acl injury, acl re-injury prevention, acl rehab, acl rehab exercises, acl rehabilitation protocol, acl surgery rehab, ACL tear, dan pope, fitness pain free, injury prevention, knee pain, knee pain relief, knee surgery, lower extremity rehab, medicine, physical therapy, PT, Return to Run Progression, return to running, rts, rts lower extremity, run after surgery, Run Progression, Run Progression (Sprinting & Acceleration), sports, sports medicine

My FAVORITE Return to Run Progressions After Injury

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In today's video we go over My FAVORITE Return to Run Progressions After Injury

Struggling to safely progress your patients back to running and sprinting after major injuries like ACL reconstruction? You're not alone. In this video, I'll break down my favorite return-to-run and sprinting drills to ensure a smooth and effective recovery.

Key points covered:

✅ Key criteria for initiating a return-to-run program: Ensuring a quiet knee, adequate limb symmetry index (LSI), and proper plyometric progression.

✅ Structured jogging progressions: From 30-second intervals to sustained running, minimizing pain and swelling.

✅ Effective acceleration drills: Utilizing sled pushes and wall drills to bridge the gap to full-speed sprinting.

✅ Top-end sprinting mechanics: Mastering A, B, and C drills, fall runs, and build-up runs for optimal performance.

✅ Practical tips and cues: To help your patients achieve their goals safely and efficiently.Level up your return-to-sport protocols and get your patients back in the game faster.

TIMELINE

  • 00:00 - Intro
  • 0:25 - Return to Run Programs
  • 0:44 - Steps Before Beginning
  • 0:21 - Preparing for Acceleration
  • 3:03 - Wall Acceleration Drills
  • 4:43 - Fast Feet Drills
  • 6:14 - A,B & C Drills
  • 7:33 - A,B & C Skips
  • 8:24 - A,B & C Run Drills
  • 8:52 - Fall Starts
  • 9:42 - ½ Kneel Starts
  • 10:05 - Stomach Starts
  • 10:17 - Build Up Runs
  • 11:10 - Conclusion

Like the wind!

- Dan Pope DPT,OCS,CSCS

Show Notes / Relevant Articles:

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Thank you!

Dan Pope DPT, OCS, CSCS

References: 

  1. O'Dowd DP, Stanley J, Rosenfeldt MP, Walsh S, Twaddle B, De Ruiter L, Crua E, Monk AP, Walsh S. Reduction in re-rupture rates following implementation of return-to-sport testing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in 313 patients with a mean follow-up of 50 months. J ISAKOS. 2024 Jun;9(3):264-271. doi: 10.1016/j.jisako.2024.01.005. Epub 2024 Jan 11. PMID: 38218452.
  2. Xiao M, van Niekerk M, Trivedi NN, Hwang CE, Sherman SL, Safran MR, Abrams GD. Patients Who Return to Sport After Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Have Significantly Higher Psychological Readiness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 3744 Patients. Am J Sports Med. 2023 Aug;51(10):2774-2783. doi: 10.1177/03635465221102420. Epub 2022 Jun 20. PMID: 35722814.