What happens
An ACL is a nine-month job, and the people who do well are the ones with a structured plan, objective testing and somebody watching the whole way. This is that.
The phases
- Prehab (if we see you before surgery): strength, range, and the swelling down
- Weeks 0 to 6: pain and swelling control, range, walking normally, quad switching on
- Weeks 6 to 16: strength on the rehab floor twice a week, bike, then running when you pass the test
- Months 4 to 7: power, plyometrics, change of direction, sport-specific drills
- Months 7 to 9: return-to-sport testing: strength symmetry above 90%, hop tests, landing mechanics, and honest questions about confidence
- Clearance, in writing, to you, your surgeon and your coach
What the price covers
About thirty sessions over nine months: weekly to week 16, then fortnightly, then monthly, plus four testing days on the force plates and a report to your surgeon before each review. Sessions you do not need are not charged; we credit them.
Your plan, step by step.
About 30 over 9 months01
Week 1
First session within seven days of surgery; swelling, range, walking
02
Week 6
Full extension, bike, strength starts in earnest
03
Week 12 to 16
Running test: strength symmetry above 70%, no swelling, good hop control
04
Month 6
Change of direction and sport drills once symmetry passes 80%
05
Month 9
Return-to-sport testing and clearance
What the price covers
- Pre-op session where possible
- About 30 physio sessions over nine months
- Four force-plate and dynamometer testing days
- Rehab floor access between sessions
- A report to your surgeon before each review
- Written return-to-sport clearance
Right for
- ACL reconstruction, any graft
- Non-surgical ACL management with a surgeon's agreement
- Multi-ligament injuries by arrangement
Not the right first call for
- Insured patients on a session-count policy: we bill per session instead and follow the same programme
Risks, in plain words
- Re-injury risk is real in the first two years; testing before clearance halves it in published series
- Progress is criteria-based, so some people take longer than nine months
Last year, counted
38ACL programmes completed in 2025; 34 cleared for sport at a median of 9.5 months (demonstration data)