>The mental aspect is certainly a huge hurdle and that fear
>will not only change your normal movement patterns but it
>makes you a lot more sensitive to any stimulus (just think
>about how you react to a pain in your ACL repaired knee vs the
>other knee).

For sure - I haven't noticed it so much in basketball thankfully (my primary sport), but I definitely cut differently when I play football (the sport I suffered the injury in)

>In terms of symmetry and returning to sports play, have you
>done a Y-balance test and return to play assessment with
>anyone? The former is a test that is shown to be the most
>reliable indicator of side to side symmetry which is the most
>reliable indicator for increase in injury risk while the
>latter is a good idea with someone who has a trained/detailed
>eye.

I haven't done a Y-balance test, unfortunately. That's something that I need to look into. I did a return to play assessment at the PT clinic where I did my rehab, but the whole thing was pretty cookie cutter. If I were to do the former, I'd first want to find a clinic dedicated to working with athletes ... or at least a CSCS who understands where I want to be physically

>Keep working...and good luck on finding a new career path, if
>you do go that way. Stress, past a certain threshold, just
>fucks everything up including recovery and sensitivity to
>pain.

Definitely