Honest VALD Review for Cash Based Practices

If you’ve been curious about whether VALD equipment is actually worth it for your cash based physical therapy clinic or garage gym physical therapy setup, this post is for you.

I’m walking you through how I use the VALD Force Plates and VALD DynaMo inside my solo physical therapy practice, The Well Physio. As a solo practice physical therapist working with barbell athletes, CrossFitters, and active adults out of my own garage gym clinic setup, I prioritize reliable tools to measure progress for my athletes. Throughout this post, I’ll give you my honest VALD review, show how I actually use the equipment day-to-day for athlete testing physical therapy, and share whether I think it’s worth it for other cash pay physical therapy providers.

Whether you’re looking to start a cash based practice, add performance testing to your services, or invest in cash PT equipment for a performance testing PT clinic, this will give you an inside look at how it works in real life.

Why I Wanted to Try VALD

As someone who’s been in physical therapy entrepreneurship for coming up on 6 years now, I’m always looking for tools that help me deliver better results for my patients, improve athlete buy-in, and make progress tracking more objective and exciting.

I’ve noticed more cash based physical therapy and hybrid practices integrating VALD for physical therapists to raise their game. When my classmate Zach set me up with a chance to test it out, I was curious to see how it could fit into my workflow, especially with the athletes I serve.

*If you’re brand new to this model and want step-by-step guidance on building out your own space, my blog post on how to start a garage gym cash based physical therapy clinic walks through location selection, essential equipment, and client flow.

VALD ForceDecks: My Go-To for Jump, Strength, and Balance Testing

The first piece of equipment on the docket today are the VALD Force Plates (ForceDecks). These bad boys are heavy-duty and perfect for repeated athlete testing in physical therapy or sports performance settings. They connect with a cable, turn on with a simple press-and-hold, and come with mats to prevent trips or ankle rolls. It’s also important to mention that even though they’re solid and built to last, they’re still easy to move around my garage gym physical therapy space, which is quite convenient if you ask me.

After using the ForceDecks with my athletes for some time now, here’s what I like about them:

• Bluetooth connection straight to my laptop, no messy cords

• Multiple test options: functional movement, jump testing, balance testing, and isometrics

• Immediate results uploaded to the VALD Hub so clients can see their scores instantly

  
  

How I Use ForceDecks in the Clinic

When I test athletes, I usually start with functional movement, move to jump testing, and finish with isometrics.

Some examples of tests that I use in my garage gym clinic:

• Push-Up Test to measure force during push-ups

• Jump and Counter-Movement Rebound Jump to track height, ground contact time, and power

• Single-Leg Jump and Hop Tests to spot asymmetries (I look for less than 10% difference)

• Squat Jump and Drop Jump to measure reactive strength and landing mechanics

• Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull to track max force over time

If you’re an athlete, or ever worked with one, you probably know how much they love competing with themselves to beat previous scores. The specific data VALD gives me not only helps me make better programming decisions, but also gives the athlete goals to work towards. 

*If you want to see how I work with athletes in my garage gym solo practice, read my guide on how to work with physical therapy clients in a garage gym. It’s truly not so different from the clinic setting.

VALD DynaMo: A Multi-Purpose Dynamometer

Next up, the VALD DynaMo is a versatile dynamometer that takes manual muscle testing to a whole new level from what you learned in PT school.

This device is portable and comes with different attachments so you can measure:

• Compression-based strength like manual muscle testing for shoulders, hips, and more

• Grip strength with a standard dynamometer attachment

• Tension testing using a handle and cable setup to measure strength in different positions at the rig

  
  

How I Use the DynaMo

For upper and lower body testing, I’ll either test by side or by movement pattern, depending on the client’s goals.

Some examples:

• Seated Shoulder Flexion for short-lever force measurements

• Rotator Cuff Testing with straps to prevent “cheating”

• Hip Internal/External Rotation for mobility and stability assessment

It also measures range of motion with a strap attachment, which has been surprisingly useful for tracking real, measurable improvements instead of just “it feels better.”

What My Athletes Think

Not only is it important to me to have equipment that I enjoy using and trust when working with athletes in the clinic, I also value the enjoyment my clients get out of it too. So what do they think about VALD equipment testing?

They love it.

The biggest surprise for me was how excited my athletes get about testing day, especially since implementing VALD equipment into my practice. They love seeing the numbers, comparing them to last time, and tracking improvements.

This in itself could be worth it. It’s not just a “fun extra.” It’s a way to get patients more invested in their rehab or training plan and to show them exactly how they’re progressing.

My Honest Review: Is VALD Worth It?

At the end of the day, do I think VALD equipment is worth it for your cash based practice?

I think VALD for physical therapists is a solid investment if:

• You work with athletes or motivated clients

• You want objective testing to guide programming

• You have people who value performance tracking

It’s not cheap, so I wouldn’t suggest it for someone who just decided to start a cash based practice and is still trying to fill their schedule. But if you’re established and want to offer something unique, this kind of equipment can really set you apart from other practices.

*If you’re in that “ready to grow” phase, my blog post on 10 ways to market a garage gym physical therapy clinic will give you proven strategies for filling your practice schedule.

Ready to Add Tools Like VALD to a Business That Works for You?

Tools like VALD equipment are great for collecting data, keeping your patients engaged, and showing measurable progress in real time. But the truth is, fancy equipment alone won’t grow your practice. You need the right systems, offers, and marketing in place to make it work.

That’s exactly what we help our students do inside our DPT to CEO business coaching program. We work with physical therapists and other healthcare providers just like you who want to grow their cash based physical therapy business in a way that fits their life. Whether you want to run a garage gym clinic setup, a telehealth option, or a traditional brick-and-mortar, we’ll help you build it.

If you’re ready to figure out how to grow your business, book a free consultation with me or one of our coaches. We’ll look at your goals, your schedule, and your lifestyle, then map out a plan that works for you.

You’ve got the clinical skills. Let’s help you build the business to match.

Listen to this episode on my podcast!