Episode #8
Keeping Athletes on the Field: An ACL Prevention Special
Host Michael Falk interviews Dr. Hannah Greving, a physical therapist and elite lacrosse coach, about ACL injury prevention through the lens of her non-contact ACL/MCL/meniscus tear in college and her 11-month rehab. Greving discusses how denial, time demands, and lost development affect athletes and highlights gaps she wishes she’d addressed, including hamstring strength, plyometrics, and deceleration training. She explains how she builds buy-in with athletes by improving warm-ups to include stopping/braking mechanics and by using force plate testing to identify asymmetries. Dr. Brett Ferstl adds that most ACL tears are non-contact and reviews modifiable risk factors such as sport demands, prior injury, range of motion, strength ratios, hip strength, and motor control. They emphasize consistent, progressive team warm-ups and strength work to reduce risk, note braces lack clear preventive evidence, and stress prevention for all ages. 00:00 Meet Dr. Hannah Greving 01:29 Hannah’s ACL Injury Story 03:50 Diagnosis and Emotions 06:09 Rehab Timeline Reality 09:52 What She’d Change 12:04 Coaching Prevention Warmups 14:48 Strength Training Buy In 16:22 Parting Advice Prevention 18:13 Meet Dr. Brett Ferstl & Data Overview 20:27 Risk Factors Modifiable 23:45 Screening ROM Strength Control 29:43 Team Programs 31:29 Warmup Keys Consistency 35:00 ACL Prevention Myths 37:59 Final Takeaways and Resources
