Expert Knee Rehabilitation & Return to Sport
Physiotherapy & Sports Therapy for ACL injuries, including ligament sprains, partial and full tears along with pre-hab (strengthening before surgery to improve surgical outcomes and improve healing times), and post-operatively to return to full function/sport. Full assessments, hands-on treatment, and personalised exercise plans.
An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most common and significant knee injuries, especially in sports that involve running, jumping, twisting, or sudden changes in direction, which can unfortunately result in a full rupture. The ACL itself is one of the key stabilising ligaments within the knee joint.
ACL injuries typically occur suddenly during sport, often with a twisting movement or landing awkwardly so are common place in football and similar sports. Symptoms will typically include knee pain, swelling, instability and difficulty with day-to-day movement.
At our clinic, we specialise in diagnosing ACL injuries and taking our patients through structured rehabilitation. This can be achieved both conservatively or following surgery, but however you are managing your ligament injury our goal is to restore strength, stability and confidence to allow a safe return to normal activity and sport.
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Types of ACL Injuries We Treat
ACL injuries can vary in severity, from minor sprains to complete ruptures, and may occur alongside other knee damage. We provide personalised assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation for all types of ACL injuries.
ACL Strain
Overstretching or minor damage to the ACL that causes pain and instability in the knee but a complete rupture.
Partial ACL
Some of the ligament fibres of the ACL are torn, which can cause instability during certain movements.
Complete ACL Rupture
A full thickness tear of the ACL, that will lead to significant instability & often requires surgical reconstruction depending on activity level.
ACL Injury with Meniscus Damage
ACL injuries can commonly occur with cartilage damage and also other ligament injuries such as the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), and this can cause clicking, locking & giving way.
Non-Surgical ACL Rehabilitation (Conservative Management)
Structured and progressive rehabilitation programmes that are designed to strengthen the knee and the surrounding muscles for patients that want to manage an ACL injury without going down the surgical route.
Prehabilitation Before ACL Surgery
Structured treatment and strengthening exercises to be completed before ACL surgery to help restore normal movement, decrease swelling, and build strength around the knee to improve surgical outcomes and improve healing times.
Rehabilitation After ACL Reconstruction
A structured rehabilitation programme to restore range of movement, rebuild strength and stability following ACL surgery.
Return-to-Sport / Activity
Progressive strengthening of the knee and surrounding muscles alongside sport-specific conditioning to allow a safe return to running, agility drills and to sport.
How Physiotherapy & Sports Therapy Helps ACL Injuries
Comprehensive Assessment
We begin with a full assessment to understand the severity of the injury and how it affects your knee function. This includes:
- Detailed discussion about your symptoms and injury history
- Assessment of knee stability, swelling and range of movement
- Strength and functional testing
- Movement analysis for walking, squatting, or sport-specific tasks.
This allows us to design a rehabilitation plan tailored to your injury, goals, and activity level.
Hands-On Treatment
Our Physiotherapists and Sports Therapists use a range of proven manual therapy techniques to support recovery, including:
- Soft tissue release
- Joint mobilisation
- Swelling management techniques
- Guided stretching
These treatments help improve mobility, reduce pain, and get the knee ready for strengthening exercises alongside supporting the healing process.
Exercise Rehabilitation
ACL rehabilitation focuses mainly on progressive strengthening and balance exercises. Your personalised programme will include:
- Quadriceps and hamstring strengthening
- Knee stability and control exercises
- Balance and proprioception training
- Running and agility progression
- Sport-specific rehabilitation
Our structured approach helps rebuild strength and confidence in the knee.
Education & Self-Management
We ensure you understand your injury, the recovery timeline, and how we will get you to safely return to sport or activity. We’ll also provide guidance on reducing the risks of future knee injuries through improved strength, control and training habits.
Why Choose
Physio-logical
At Physio-logical, we take the time to listen and understand your goals – whether that’s walking comfortably to the shops, running a marathon, getting back to your favourite sport, or playing with your grandchildren. We work with you to achieve the best possible outcome, combining hands-on treatment with personalised exercises rather than just providing a set number of sessions or generic exercise sheets.
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