See the Testing in Action
Nate Kim explains how VALD force plate testing measures your athlete's readiness.
"Great 1 on 1 session. Extremely knowledgeable therapist. Much different than other PT I've been to."
"Nate was very good for PT based around athletics. Very personable with solid expertise in sports injuries."
Coaches and Athletic Trainers: Start Here
You are the one who has to decide whether an athlete goes back in. You should not have to decide on a hunch.
We provide independent return-to-sport testing and team screenings using VALD force plate technology, the same systems used by collegiate and professional programs. You get objective data on strength, power, and side-to-side symmetry, delivered as a written report you can put in the athlete's file and hand to a parent or a physician.
Your athlete does not have to rehab with us. If they are already working with another provider, or already cleared and you want a second set of eyes before full contact, we will test them and send you the numbers.
Team screenings are provided at no charge to your program.
Cost is usually not the barrier people assume it is. Most districts carry School Injury and Accident insurance covering athletes hurt during school practices and games, and it often applies to care here. If the injury happened at a school event, tell us and we will check the coverage before anyone commits to anything.
WHAT YOU GET:
- VALD force plate testing with limb symmetry data
- A written report in plain language, sent within a few days
- A direct conversation with the treating clinician, not a front desk callback
- Screening days at your facility or at our East Brunswick clinic
Your Athlete Is Hurt. Now What?
The hardest part is not knowing. Is this serious? Will they miss the season? Will they be the same athlete afterward?
Start with an evaluation. A full hour, one on one, with a doctor of physical therapy who works with athletes every day. You leave that first visit knowing what the injury is, what the timeline looks like, and what happens next.
If a doctor already cleared your athlete and you are still not sure they are ready, that is exactly what our testing is for. Cleared and ready are not the same thing.
If your athlete was hurt at a school practice or game, ask us about School Injury and Accident insurance. Most districts carry a policy for exactly this, and it often applies here. We bill insurance directly and handle the claims for you.
Why Objective Testing Matters
38% vs 6%
Reinjury rate in athletes who returned before passing objective criteria, compared to those who passed
29%
Of young athletes suffer a second ACL injury within two years of returning to sport
4x
Higher risk of graft rupture in athletes who did not meet objective discharge criteria
Nate Kim, PT, DPT, CSCS
Nate specializes in ACL rehabilitation, knee injuries, and return-to-sport testing. He works with athletes from first practice through Division I, and every session is one on one from start to finish. Your athlete is never handed off to an aide and never shares an hour with three other patients.
"Nate was very good for PT based around athletics. Very personable with solid expertise in sports injuries."
How We Get Athletes Back
01
Assess
VALD force plate testing sets an objective baseline: strength, power, jump performance, and side-to-side symmetry. We add movement screening and video analysis, then build the protocol around what the data shows.
02
Rebuild
One-on-one rehab that progresses from healing into real strength and power work. We close the asymmetries rather than working around them.
03
Retest
We retest at every phase and track the injured side against the healthy side. Progress is measured, not assumed. You see the numbers, not just our opinion.
04
Return
Your athlete clears evidence-based return-to-sport benchmarks before stepping back on the field. Then we keep testing through the first weeks back, because that early window is when second injuries cluster.
Most reinjuries happen because an athlete went back before they were truly ready. We take the guesswork out of that decision.
Testimonials
"I've been through a lot of PTs during my ACL recovery, and Dr. Nate is a cut above. I came in for late-stage rehab and wish I had found him right after my surgery. Sessions are a full hour with dynamic warm-ups, strength and power work, and a data-driven approach with testing tools."
"My 15 y/o daughter is a volleyball player who got injured and needed PT... He put her at ease, he challenged her and got her back on her feet again. That knee is even stronger. He worked with her to improve her landing and taught her safer practices to avoid further injury."
"After tearing my MCL, I wasn't sure if I'd ever get back to the level of activity I enjoyed before my injury... I had no idea there were so many tools available to analyze movement patterns, measure performance, and assess the impact of running on my joints. Nate provided detailed results from every assessment and took the time to explain what they meant and how they related to my recovery."
Individual results vary.
Return Stronger. Not Just Pain-Free.
Returning before an athlete is objectively ready is the leading cause of reinjury. Objective testing replaces the guess with data, for you, for the parents, and for the athlete.