What we treat · Post-Surgical Return-to-Sport
Finish the rehab your insurance didn’t pay for
Your surgery worked. Your twelve sessions of physical therapy got you walking, climbing stairs, "functional." Then you were discharged — and you’re still nowhere near the bike, the slopes, or the barbell. That gap between "cleared" and "back" is exactly where this work lives.
Why does insurance PT stop before you’re actually back?
Insurance-based physical therapy is built to restore basic function — walking, dressing, working. Once you hit those milestones, coverage ends, regardless of whether your goal was a 5k or a century ride. The 6–9 months of progressive loading between "functional" and "athletic" is not something the system pays for, so almost nobody provides it.
That’s the rebuild I do. One-on-one, 60–90 minute sessions that pick up where your PT discharge left off and end at your sport — with objective return-to-sport benchmarks, not guesswork.
Why are you still afraid to load the joint?
After surgery, your nervous system becomes protective. Even when the tissue has healed, the brain often keeps guarding — which shows up as stiffness, weakness that doesn’t match the scan, and fear of the exact movement that injured you.
Graded exposure done right fixes this: we find the edge of what feels safe, load it, prove to your nervous system that you’re strong there, then move the edge. It’s systematic, measurable, and it’s the part most rehab skips.
What does the process look like?
First visit: full movement assessment, history, and a frank conversation about your sport and your timeline. You leave with a plan and a realistic number of sessions.
Then: progressive strength work built around your surgery, your sport, and your schedule — typically one session a week with independent work between. We track load, range, and confidence until you pass sport-specific benchmarks, then you graduate.
Common questions
How soon after surgery can I start?
Most people come to me after insurance PT ends — usually 2–6 months post-op. If you’re earlier than that, I’ll coordinate with your surgeon’s protocol.
Do you replace my physical therapist?
No — I start where PT discharge ends. If you still have coverage, use it. When it runs out and you’re not back to your sport, that’s when this work makes sense.
How many sessions does it take?
Typically 6–8 sessions spread over 2–4 months, depending on the surgery and the sport. You’ll get an honest estimate at the first visit — not an open-ended commitment.
Related to this
- Stay in your sport for the next twenty years
Recurring injuries for athletes 40+: tendinopathy, joint pain, the boom-bust cycle. Break the pattern and keep training. Masters athlete rehab in Denver.
- The evidence-based approach most providers don’t know
What Cognitive Functional Therapy is, the Lancet RESTORE evidence behind it, and how CFT works in practice. One of a handful of practitioners in Colorado.
Find out if this is your way out
A 30-minute consultation — your story, my honest read on whether I can help, and a clear plan if I can.
Book a consultationOr call (720) 257-9328 · See how it works