Back in the Game: Elijah’s ACL Recovery with ARPwave Therapy
At just 19 years old, college basketball player Elijah Freeman found himself facing one of the most difficult challenges of his athletic career, recovering from ACL and meniscus surgery while trying to regain the strength, confidence, and performance he needed to compete at the collegiate level.
In June 2025, Elijah underwent surgery on his right knee following an ACL and meniscus injury while playing basketball. His ACL was reconstructed using a quadriceps tendon graft, while his lateral meniscus required both removal of damaged tissue and repair.
About two weeks after surgery, Elijah began traditional physical therapy and worked through the rehabilitation process. Eventually, he completed physical therapy and was cleared to return to basketball.
But being cleared to play didn’t mean Elijah felt ready to play.
Cleared to Play—but Still Not Feeling Like Himself
Even after completing traditional physical therapy, Elijah continued to notice a significant difference between his two legs.
“I still was feeling imbalances between both legs and feeling like this one wasn’t waking up properly. I just felt like I wasn’t confident playing on the basketball court.”
He also experienced recurring knee pain and struggled with the demands of consecutive practices. He could practice hard one day, but returning the following day at the same intensity was difficult.
For a college athlete, those limitations mattered. Elijah had technically completed rehabilitation, but he didn’t feel like he had regained the strength, balance, or confidence he needed to perform at his previous level.
“I just felt like I needed something different, something more.”
That’s when Elijah and his father began researching other options.
Finding ARPwave at Neuro Sports Performance
After searching online, watching videos, and learning more about different approaches to injury rehabilitation, Elijah and his father discovered ARPwave Therapy and Neuro Sports Performance & Rehab.
Elijah came in for an initial consultation and evaluation with Travis. During his assessment, ARPwave was used to evaluate how effectively each leg was producing power.
The result immediately helped quantify what Elijah had been feeling.
His healthy leg was producing approximately 90% of the measured power, while his previously injured leg accounted for only 10%.
There was a significant imbalance between the two sides.
For Elijah, seeing that difference was validating. He knew something still didn’t feel right, and now there was measurable evidence showing just how much work remained.
What Made ARPwave Different From His Previous Rehabilitation?
Traditional physical therapy had played an important role in Elijah’s post-surgical recovery. But after completing PT, he still didn’t feel that his injured leg was activating and performing the way he needed it to.
ARPwave gave his rehabilitation a different focus.
Rather than simply adding more conventional strengthening exercises, Elijah’s sessions combined ARPwave neuromuscular electrical stimulation with active, functional movement. The goal was to challenge his body while addressing the muscle activation and performance deficits identified during his evaluation.
His first phase consisted largely of sit-to-stand movements while ARPwave was applied around his quadriceps, including the VMO and VLO regions.
And the change happened quickly.
From a 90/10 Imbalance to 50/50
By Elijah’s fifth ARPwave session, testing showed something that had seemed far away when he first walked through the door:
He reached equal 50/50 power between his legs.
For Elijah and his family, it was a huge milestone.
It wasn’t simply about seeing a better number. It was evidence that the injured leg was beginning to contribute the way Elijah had been hoping it would.
“It just proved that the improvements were happening that I wanted to see.”
But reaching equal power was only part of the process.
Rebuilding the Entire Athletic Chain
As Elijah progressed through his program, his ARPwave sessions became increasingly challenging.
During sessions 10 through 20, treatment expanded beyond his quadriceps to incorporate areas including his hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes. Functional exercises such as resisted squats were incorporated while using ARPwave.
It wasn’t easy.
But for Elijah, the challenge was exactly what he needed.
As his body became stronger and more balanced, something else began returning too:
His confidence.
“It helped me. It built my confidence back. And I’m forever grateful.”
For an athlete recovering from a major knee injury, confidence can be just as important as strength. Cutting, jumping, accelerating, absorbing contact, and trusting a surgically repaired knee all require an athlete to believe their body can handle the demands being placed on it.
Elijah finally began feeling like an athlete again.
Pain-Free, Strong, Confident—and Back to Basketball
Today, Elijah says he’s able to return to basketball and perform at 100% day after day—something he struggled to do before beginning his ARPwave program.
The chronic knee discomfort, imbalance, and hesitation that followed him after traditional rehabilitation no longer define his experience on the court.
More importantly, Elijah feels confident about his basketball career again.
“It’s really changed my career. And I’m so excited to get back playing basketball again next year for my team.”
For Elijah, ARPwave became the missing piece between simply being medically cleared to participate and actually feeling strong, balanced, pain-free, and confident enough to compete again.
When Traditional Rehabilitation Doesn’t Feel Like Enough
Elijah’s story highlights an important distinction: completing traditional physical therapy or receiving clearance to return to sport doesn’t always mean an athlete feels completely back to normal.
Some athletes continue to experience weakness, asymmetry, discomfort, or a lack of confidence long after surgery and traditional rehabilitation.
That’s where the approach at Neuro Sports Performance & Rehab can be different.
Using ARPwave alongside progressive functional movement, our team works to identify and address neuromuscular deficits that may continue to limit strength and performance. Rather than focusing only on the location of the original injury, treatment can incorporate the surrounding muscles and movement patterns necessary for the athlete to perform as a complete system.
For Elijah, that meant progressing from a dramatic 90/10 power imbalance to equal power—and ultimately returning to the basketball court feeling like himself again.
Ready to Find Out What’s Holding You Back?
Whether you’re recovering from ACL surgery, dealing with a lingering sports injury, or have finished traditional physical therapy but still don’t feel 100%, there may be another step in your recovery.
Elijah came to Neuro Sports Performance looking for something different.
He found ARPwave—and regained the strength, confidence, and ability to play the game he loves.
“I’m so thankful for ARPwave, and I just recommend this to anybody that is going through any injury.”
Call 210-802-7760 to schedule an ARPwave consultation and discover what’s possible for your recovery.
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Neuro Sports Performance and Rehab is the leading sports medicine and pain management clinic in San Antonio. We offer accelerated injury recovery, pain management, post-surgery rapid rehab, and sports performance and fitness services, using the FDA approved, patented, proprietary, and proven ARPwave system.
