Description: Sports medicine physical therapists—and increasingly any outpatient orthopedic physical therapist treating the lower extremity—should learn to effectively use force plates and high-quality smart dynamometers because modern rehabilitation demands objective, quantifiable measures of function rather than relying solely on observation, manual muscle testing, or patient self-report. Many lower-extremity conditions, including ACL reconstruction, Achilles tendinopathy, ankle sprains, hip pathology, and knee osteoarthritis, require clinicians to measure strength, power, load acceptance, asymmetry, and functional performance throughout recovery. Clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based rehabilitation models consistently emphasize the use of objective and reproducible outcome measures to track impairments and function over time. Force plates and smart dynamometers provide information that the naked eye often misses. Dynamometers allow clinicians to accurately quantify strength deficits, side-to-side asymmetries, and rates of strength recovery, while force plates reveal how patients produce and absorb force during functional tasks such as squatting, jumping, landing, and single-leg activities. These technologies help therapists identify compensatory movement strategies, individualize exercise prescription, monitor progress with greater precision, and make more informed return-to-sport or return-to-activity decisions. As outpatient physical therapy continues to move toward value-based care and data-driven clinical decision making, therapists who can integrate objective and meaningful strength and force testing into routine practice will be better positioned to improve outcomes, communicate more effectively with physicians and patients, and demonstrate the value of their rehabilitation programs.

Objectives: (1. Knowledge Based Objectives) At the end of the course, the learner will be able to: • Demonstrate the appropriate setup and use of force plates and dynamometers in routine clinical practice. • Collect and interpret clinically meaningful data obtained from force plates and dynamometers. (2. Competence Based Objectives) At the end of the course, the learner will be able to: • Analyze objective force plate and dynamometer metrics to identify relevant impairments, asymmetries, and performance limitations. • Integrate objective assessment findings into clinical reasoning and treatment planning for lower-extremity patients and athletes. • Evaluate case-based findings to select appropriate rehabilitation interventions and progression strategies. • Apply appropriate documentation, billing, and compliance practices when using force plates and dynamometers.

Status: Active

Activity Difficulty Level: Advanced

Domains:

• Assessment
• Evaluation and Diagnosis
• Specialty (Orthopedic): Medical Knowledge
• Specialty (Orthopedic): Procedural Knowledge
• Therapeutic Intervention

Format: Face to Face

Dual Credentials and JA: Physical Therapy Professionals, Physicians

Presenter(s): Josh Howard, PT, DPT, C-PS, CSCS

Start Date & Time: 11/14/2026 08:00 AM CST

End Date & Time: 11/14/2026 01:00 PM CST

Cost: $0.00

Capacity: 40

City: Pewaukee

State: Wisconsin (WI)

Zip Code: 53072

CEUs: 5