The ACL Athlete Podcast

Ravi Patel
  • 5.0 (83)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

The ACL Athlete Podcast brings you everything you need to know about ACL injuries. This podcast creates discussion around the ACL injury itself, research, rehab, performance, return to sport, mindset, you name it. I'm your host, Dr. Ravi Patel, Performance Physical Therapist, Coach, and 2x ACL athlete. I invite you to join me as we explore insights, expertise, personal stories, and experiences - from the athlete to the healthcare professional to the coach, so that we, together, can raise the standard of care and revolutionize the field of ACL injuries and rehab.

  1. 3d ago

    280 | Further Out and Still Not There: Why Your ACL Recovery Is Taking Longer Than You Expected

    In this episode, we dig into one of the most common and quietly painful experiences in ACL recovery: being months or even years out from surgery and still not feeling close to where you thought you would be. We break down why the 9-to-12-month timeline, as useful as it is as a starting point, was never a guarantee, and why using it as a personal benchmark is setting so many athletes up to feel like they failed a recovery they were never given the right tools to complete. We walk through the real variables that extend timelines beyond what anyone warned you about, including injury complexity, graft type, complications like scar tissue and cyclops lesions, the quality and individualization of care inside a system not built for long recoveries, and the reality of life not pausing for rehab. We share real examples of athletes we are currently working with who are two years out, never been tested, or navigating their fourth ACL surgery, to show you that a longer road is not the exception. We close with a challenge to audit your own process honestly, because the difference between being stuck and making real progress often comes down to whether you actually know your numbers, have programming built for you specifically, and have someone who can tell you where you are and what comes next. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    27 min

  2. Jun 4

    279 | Bone Bruise After an ACL Injury: What It Means for Your Rehab and Recovery

    In this episode, we take a deep dive into one of the most overlooked pieces of the ACL injury: bone bruising. Present in roughly 85% of ACL tears, bone bruises are almost always mentioned in the MRI report and almost always glossed over in the clinical conversation. We break down what a bone bruise actually is at the tissue level, why the classic "kissing contusion" pattern shows up on the lateral side of the knee, and how the Costa-Paz grading system helps us understand severity. We walk through three key research findings on healing timelines, cartilage risk, and long term outcomes. We also get into the practical rehab implications: why bone bruising is one of the strongest arguments for not rushing into surgery, how it contributes to slower swelling resolution and quad activation in prehab, what it means for early post-op loading, and how to use symptoms and criteria rather than the calendar to guide progressions. Whether you are an athlete trying to make sense of what your knee is telling you or a clinician looking to factor this into your clinical reasoning, this episode gives the bone bruise the airtime it deserves. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    41 min

  3. May 28

    278 | How to Navigate a Second ACL Opinion: Before Surgery, After Surgery, and Complex Cases

    In this episode, we break down how to actually navigate second (or third) opinions in ACL care without getting overwhelmed or stuck in decision paralysis. From pre-surgery planning to post-op confusion and complex, lingering symptoms, we walk through how to collect the right information, interpret conflicting recommendations, and identify when a new set of eyes is truly needed. You’ll hear how different surgeons can look at the same knee and arrive at completely different conclusions, why medical records can miss key parts of your lived experience, and how insurance and logistics quietly shape your options more than most people realize. Most importantly, this episode gives you a structured way to move from uncertainty to clarity by focusing on patterns, not isolated opinions. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    32 min

  4. May 21

    277 | The Sympathy Gap: When the Visible Markers of ACL Rehab Disappear

    In this episode, we talk about one of the quietest and most underrated phases of ACL recovery: the window after the crutches and brace are gone, but the real work is still very much in progress. We call it the sympathy gap, and it shows up when the visible markers of your injury disappear and the people around you quietly assume the story is over. We share what this phase actually looks like, why it hits so hard, and what you can do to stay grounded when the outside world has moved on, and the inside has not. Whether you are eight weeks post-op or deep into mid-stage rehab, if you have ever answered "I'm good" when you were not, this one is for you. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    18 min

  5. May 14

    276 | Two-Stage Revision ACL Reconstruction Part 2: The Surgery, the Research, and the Road Back

    In this episode, we go deeper into the two-stage revision ACL reconstruction process, starting with what actually happens during Stage 1 and why understanding the bone work changes how you think about the months that follow. We break down the interstage period, the stretch between Stage 1 and Stage 2 that we argue is the most underappreciated phase in all of ACL rehab, and walk through exactly what that window should look like physically and mentally. We cover the research, including what the MARS Group, Mitchell and colleagues, Gopinatth and colleagues, and the 2025 Sutton meta-analysis actually show about outcomes after revision reconstruction, and we name the numbers honestly, including the return to sport gap between returning to some activity and returning to the pre-injury level. We close with direct takeaways for both athletes and clinicians, and we bring the story we opened Episode 275 with full circle. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    53 min

  6. May 7

    275 | Two-Stage Revision ACL Reconstruction Part 1: What It Is and Why It Happens

    In this episode, we open with the story of an athlete who did everything right after her ACL reconstruction and still knew something was off. Her surgeon told her she was fine. Her knee told her otherwise. We break down what a two-stage revision ACL reconstruction actually is, using the house renovation analogy to explain why some revision cases require a foundation fix before a new graft can go in. We cover the two primary reasons a two-stage becomes necessary: tunnel widening beyond 12 to 14 millimeters and non-anatomic tunnel positioning, and we get into who ends up facing this procedure and why it is not random bad luck. We also address something that does not get said enough: the damage of being told you are fine when you are not, the guilt athletes carry when a first surgery does not hold, and why getting the right team and the right diagnosis changes everything about how this process feels, even when it does not shorten it. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    37 min

  7. Apr 30

    274 | Structure Outside of PT Is Not Optional in ACL Rehab

    In this episode, we dig into one of the most common and costly gaps in ACL rehab: the absence of structure outside of physical therapy sessions. We start with the math of how few hours most ACLers are actually getting guided work and walk through the three patterns we see most often in athletes who are not progressing the way they should. We make the case that the work you do between sessions, when it is intentional and well programmed, is where the majority of adaptation actually happens and that PT should be informing and guiding that work, not carrying the entire load. We break down what real structure looks like at each phase of recovery, from early post-op through late stage return to sport, and talk about why the gap between dropping PT frequency and rising programming demands is where so many athletes either plateau or get stuck for months. Whether you are an ACL athlete trying to figure out what your week should actually look like, a clinician working to close the gap for your patients, or a coach or parent supporting someone through this process, this episode gives you a framework you can act on immediately. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    38 min

  8. Apr 23

    273 | Using AI in ACL Rehab: Where AI Gets Dangerous in ACL Rehab and What It Should Never Replace - Part 2

    In this episode, we close out the two-part series on AI in ACL rehab with the territory that matters most. We open with a use case we did not cover in part one, using AI as an audit tool to compare your actual care against what the research says, and why the way you prompt it determines whether you get honest information or just the answer you were already looking for. We then finish tier two with the pattern of athletes who build a program from AI and troubleshoot it with AI, no human ever in the loop, and move into tier three, the hard lines where AI should never be the decision maker. We break down exactly what AI cannot know when it builds your program, your graft type, your quad deficit, your swelling pattern, your movement quality, and your psychological readiness, and why the return to sport decision requires a human who can test you, watch you move, and take responsibility for the call. We get specific about how we use AI at The ACL Athlete, where it earns its place in our workflow and where it does not touch the process at all. We close with the three question framework you can use every single time you reach for AI to answer something about your knee, your program, or your recovery. Ways we can connect: My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Our website: www.theaclathlete.com Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com _________________ Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer. Check out our website and tons of free ACL resources Sign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up) 1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world. Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

    44 min
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5
out of 5
83 Ratings

About

The ACL Athlete Podcast brings you everything you need to know about ACL injuries. This podcast creates discussion around the ACL injury itself, research, rehab, performance, return to sport, mindset, you name it. I'm your host, Dr. Ravi Patel, Performance Physical Therapist, Coach, and 2x ACL athlete. I invite you to join me as we explore insights, expertise, personal stories, and experiences - from the athlete to the healthcare professional to the coach, so that we, together, can raise the standard of care and revolutionize the field of ACL injuries and rehab.

Information

  • Creator
    Ravi Patel
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    280
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The ACL Athlete Podcast
  • Show Website
    The ACL Athlete Podcast

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