5 questions, 5 answers with Eric M. Dinkins, PT, MSPT, OCS
This month we are excited to feature Eric Dinkins in our blog to get some ideas on why and how we can help ACL patients with motor control training.
Eric is a graduate from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Physical Therapy program and has been practicing since 2001. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopedics through the American Physical Therapy Association and has a post-graduate diploma in Manipulative Therapy. He is current part of the teaching faculty for Select Medical, Northeast Seminars, Herman and Wallace, Motion Guidance LLC, and is a credentialed instructor with the Mulligan Concept Teachers Association. Eric is part of the ownership team of Motion Guidance, LLC, a rehabilitation company that developed visual feedback tools for assessing and treating clients.
WebExercises: Why is it Motor Control Training so important for patients that recover from ACL injuries?
Eric Dinkins: There is a strong link in the literature that proprioceptive and motor control deficits occur after ACL injury. Addressing these deficits is imperative to having the patient return to their previous activity level with decreased risk for re-injury.
WebExercises: What are the key considerations when introducing motor control training to patients recovering form ACL injuries?
Eric Dinkins: I need my patients to be able to have good understanding and active control about where their body is in space. I attempt to expose them to as many environments and requirements as possible during their rehabilitation.
WebExercises: What are your go-to exercises to improve motor control for ACL rehab?
Eric Dinkins: Each patient is different. And their areas of focus are likely to change throughout rehab. But, at a minimum, I implement both bilateral, unilateral and trunk muscle exercises for each ACL patient.
WebExercises: Do you have any motor control exercise suggestions for preventing ACL injuries?
Eric Dinkins: Preventing ACL injury is still a major issue in athletics and work environments. As a profession, we are making advancements, but it is still a very common injury. There are currently no programs that guarantee you won’t have an ACL injury. But strength and conditioning, body awareness training, and exposure to multiple environments and ranges of motion make sense for every sport.
WebExercises: Do you prescribe exercises patients can do at home? How important is that to achieve your desired outcomes?
Eric Dinkins: ALL of my patients get home exercises…through each stage of rehab. That is one reason I use WebExercises. Easy deliverable to establish expectation for patients between visits.
Interested in joining the discussion? Do you have an approach to share or a story to tell? Email us your opinion to rikeaprea@webexercises.com. We love to hear from you! #WhyExerciseMatters
