TaskForceRehab built on the guidelines.
What the research supports, and how to put it to work. Every topic is built from the clinical practice guidelines physical therapists treat by.
Each Instagram carousel covers one guideline in a few slides.
The recommendations and the reasoning behind them.
Gear and supplements that aid the plan, with a note on the evidence for each.
Topics
All CPGsFeatured gear
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Low Back Pain
Most low back pain improves, and staying active through it beats resting it out. The guideline puts exercise at the center of care for chronic pain and pairs it with hands-on treatment and education about how pain works.
- Guideline
- George SZ et al. Interventions for the Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Revision 2021. JOSPT. 2021;51(11):CPG1–CPG60.
- Covers
- Acute and chronic low back pain, with and without leg pain
- Carousel
- See it on Instagram
What the guideline supports
- Recommended
Exercise for chronic low back pain. Trunk strength and endurance work, motor control training, aerobic exercise and general conditioning all help. No single type wins, so the best program is the one the patient will keep doing.
- Recommended
Pain neuroscience education paired with exercise. Explaining how pain works lowers fear of movement and helps people stay active. It works as part of active care, not on its own.
- Supported
Manual therapy alongside exercise. Thrust and non-thrust techniques can reduce pain and disability in the short term and make it easier to start moving.
- Supported
Staying active during an acute flare. Normal activity, modified as needed, leads to faster recovery than bed rest.
New numbness in the groin or saddle area, changes in bladder or bowel control, progressive leg weakness, or back pain with fever or unexplained weight loss.
Tools that fit the plan
Affiliate links. TaskForcePT may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Equipment supports the exercise program; it doesn't replace it.
ACL Injury & Reconstruction
Rehab starts before surgery and ends with testing, not a date on the calendar. Restoring quadriceps strength runs through every phase.
- Guidelines
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline. 2022.
- Arundale AJH et al. Exercise-Based Knee and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention. JOSPT. 2023;53(1):CPG1–CPG34.
- Logerstedt DS et al. Knee Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Knee Ligament Sprain Revision 2017. JOSPT. 2017;47(11):A1–A47.
- Covers
- ACL sprain, preoperative and postoperative rehab, return to sport
- Carousel
- See it on Instagram
What the guideline supports
- Recommended
Prehab before reconstruction. Going into surgery with full extension, minimal swelling and good quad control leads to better function afterward.
- Recommended
Early motion and weight bearing. Getting the knee moving and loaded early after surgery limits stiffness and muscle loss.
- Recommended
NMES and high-intensity quad training. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation plus heavy volitional work restores quad strength faster than exercise alone.
- Supported
Neuromuscular and balance training as rehab progresses, building toward cutting, landing and sport-specific tasks.
- Recommended
Criteria-based return to sport. Clear strength symmetry, hop testing and self-reported function before returning to pivoting sports. Time since surgery alone isn't enough.
Nutrition after surgery
Muscle loss after reconstruction is fast, and protein intake, creatine and vitamin D status are reasonable targets during rehab. The trials are mostly small and the results mixed, so each product below notes where the evidence stands.
Tools that fit the plan
Affiliate links. TaskForcePT may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Supplement statements have not been evaluated by the FDA; these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Rotator Cuff, Nonsurgical
Rotator cuff tendinopathy responds to load. A progressive strengthening program is first-line care, and most people improve over 6 to 12 weeks without surgery.
- Guideline
- Desmeules F et al. Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Diagnosis, Nonsurgical Medical Care, and Rehabilitation: A Clinical Practice Guideline. JOSPT. 2025;55(4):235–274.
- Covers
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy and related shoulder pain, nonsurgical care
- Carousel
- See it on Instagram
What the guideline supports
- Recommended
Progressive exercise as first-line care. Rotator cuff and scapular strengthening, progressed over at least 6 to 12 weeks, is the core of treatment.
- Recommended
Education and load management. Adjusting how much overhead work you do, without stopping altogether, keeps the tendon loaded while symptoms settle.
- Supported
Manual therapy as an add-on to exercise for short-term pain relief.
- Short-term only
Corticosteroid injection can ease pain for a few weeks but doesn't improve longer-term outcomes compared with exercise.
- Not first-line
Subacromial decompression surgery has not outperformed exercise therapy for tendinopathy in randomized trials.
Tools that fit the plan
Affiliate links. TaskForcePT may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
CPGs
Every topic is built on a published clinical practice guideline, grouped by body region. New guidelines are added as the carousels go live.
Gear
Everything recommended across the topic pages, in one place. Each pick lists the topics it supports and where the evidence stands.
Affiliate links. TaskForcePT may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, TaskForcePT earns from qualifying purchases. Supplement statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
About TaskForcePT
TaskForcePT turns clinical practice guidelines into content you can use. Every post and topic page starts from the published guideline and says where the evidence is strong, where it's thin, and where it doesn't exist yet.
Content is written and reviewed by a doctor of physical therapy who is board-certified in orthopaedics.
Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them, TaskForcePT may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Products are chosen for fit with the guideline topic first. As an Amazon Associate, TaskForcePT earns from qualifying purchases.
Medical disclaimer
This site is for education and doesn't replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician. Supplement statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Check with your physician before starting a supplement, especially around surgery.