The Road to Recovery: Our Breakthrough Testing is here to help

We want to share a case study involving our own physio, Alex, who recently experienced a shoulder dislocation playing footy. Through using our VALD Force Decks as part of our in-house return-to-sport testing, we were able to gain valuable insights.

The Road to Recovery: Following his shoulder dislocation, Alex decided to try to rehabilitate without shoulder surgery. He was determined to get back to the footy field as soon as possible. Alex is currently 7 weeks following his dislocation and has been considering playing as his shoulder was feeling good and he was back doing full training including tackling.

The Surprising Findings: During our Breakthrough Testing using the VALD Force Decks, we discovered some intriguing results that shed some light on Alex’s recovery progress. While his overall strength was quite good, we noticed that the time it took for his shoulder muscles to generate that strength was much slower.

Implications for Alex’s Return to Footy: This observation was a crucial revelation in understanding the state of Alex’s shoulder and its readiness for the demands of footy. Despite his progress, Alex would be more at risk of injury such as a re-dislocation, muscle injury or other structural injuries.

The Importance of Breakthrough Testing: Alex’s case highlights the significance of our Breakthrough Testing in the rehab process. This specialised testing from VALD assesses key areas and allows us to develop a plan to address the specific areas of concern and know when someone is truly ready to return to sport based on their body and the data and not just because they are feeling good.