Client Profile:

• Name: Fergus Clarke

• Injury: ACL rupture and meniscus tear left knee

• Sport: Rugby & Cricket

Ferg suffered a significant knee injury playing rugby, and had a full ACL rupture with mensicus tear, which he had surgery for 5 years ago. He rehabbed the knee initially for the following 8 months and returned to rugby again.
He then suffered a secondary injury when he hyperextended his knee, damaging the meniscus for a second time and over stretching the ACL, requiring a second operation and another extended period of rehabilitation.

Ferg didn’t return to rugby again after this, but did play cricket regularly and trained 4-5 days a week in the gym, however he was still experiencing knee pain. He reported pain when going downstairs, lunging and squatting were sometimes aggravating, he was having some tendinopathy flare ups in the patellar tendon of the opposite knee and running was definitely out of the question. He came to us for an assessment and to find out if anything can be done to resolve this, or if it was something he was just going to have to put up with.

Here is what he had to say…

I had an ACL reconstruction along with some meniscus work on my left knee following a rugby related injury. I rehabbed as recommended and trained/ exercise frequently, while I felt relatively strong and fit, I was always in pain with both knees and my back. Due to the pain, I had knee surgery again on my meniscus and regularly went to the chiropractor for my back. This was a temporary measure and the pain would always return when walking up and down stairs, curbs and running for any distance was very sore.

 On my first consultation with Elly she noticed that while I could carry out all of the main movement patterns I favoured my right side alot. Testing using the force decks showed that in most areas I was 50% weaker on my left side, I also landed 75% of my weight on my right knee, so no wonder I was in pain!

 A plan was put together starting from the basics and slowly progressing to plyometrics once I was strong enough. Following the plan was easy as it is laid out step by step on the Truecoach app Elly uses along with videos explaining the exercises. Getting tested regularly gives you tangible feedback on your progress, this kept me motivated and was great to see my strength and plyometric scores constantly improving.

 I am now within 10% balanced and better in some areas. I now feel comfortable pushing myself while exercising and have real trust in my knees, which are almost always pain free and my back is much better now as a result too!  I know it will take constant maintenance to keep myself strong and pain free and I feel Elly has educated me on me how to manage this myself.

Outcome:

Ferg is a great example of why getting your rehab right the first time is key! It illustrates the power of a personalized, sport-specific rehab approach tailored to Ferg’s specific needs based off his objective test data. He is now regularly competing in fitness competitions, plays cricket every weekend in the summer months and is currently training for a sponsored run with his cricket team!

Why Choose Us?

At the Rehab Coach, we tailor our rehab programs to your unique goals, using a blend of cutting-edge tools like TrueCoach, in-person coaching, VALD testing equipment and sport-specific drills. Whether you’re aiming to return to sport or pursue new challenges, we’ll help you come back stronger than ever. With all of our clients we always want to ensure they leave us better educated on how to manage their weaknesses or previous injury sites. Educating clients on their injury rehab is crucial because it empowers them to take an active role in their recovery, improves adherence to treatment plans, reduces re-injury risk, and enhances long term outcomes by promoting proper movement patterns and lifestyle adjustments.

Ready to start your journey?
Contact us today to achieve your recovery and performance goals!