ACL & KNEE INJURIES
Looking for a Physiotherapist to treat your knee?
Our team are experts in diagnosing and treating knee pain. We will help you understand your injury and pain, and identify any contributing factors that may need to be addressed to assist with your recovery. We are also trusted by specialists and orthopaedic surgeons for the rehabilitation of knee injuries pre- and post- surgical intervention.
For knee injuries, surgery may not be the best option – rehab only treatment can give good long term results. We keep a strong emphasis on progressive strengthening rehab in our treatment plan.
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is an internal ligament in the knee that connects the two main bones in the knee (femur and tibia). Although the ACL provides stability to the knee to help us to do many activities, there are many other structures (muscles, other ligaments) which also assist.
Injury to the ACL occurs most commonly in high intensity change of directions sports like football, netball, soccer or skiing. Most injuries occur as a result of a player’s own movement, like an awkward landing or missed step. But, some injuries may involve contact from an opponent or object. People who have injured an ACL often describe a sensation of a pop, followed by pain and a sensation of instability in the knee or giving way when trying to get up or walk or run after the injury.
How do we treat knee and ACL injuries?
We are experts in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
Our expert team will gather information from your history, including any previous knee injuries, and then conduct a thorough assessment of your knee to determine what is contributing to your pain and what we can be done to help. From here, you will be provided with a plan that is tailored to you and your injury, consisting of education, rehab exercises, physiotherapy and referral to other health professionals if required.
The first step in successfully managing your ACL injury is deciding on your management pathway. Whilst surgical reconstruction of the ACL has been considered the gold standard in the past, there have been some exciting recent developments in our understanding of ACL rehabilitation, and the ACL itself which have opened the door to other management pathways.
There are three main pathways to consider following an ACL injury:
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Non-surgical rehabilitation
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Surgical re-construction + rehabilitation
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ACL healing protocol + rehabilitation (including the Cross bracing protocol)
Not all pathways are suitable for everyone. We take the time to make sure you understand these options and what’s involved to help you to make the right decision for you and your circumstances.
What knee conditions do we specialise in?
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Knee Osteoarthritis
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Patellar Tendinopathy
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Patellofemoral Pain (PFP) or knee cap pain
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Patellar dislocation and instability
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Ligament injuries (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL), including non-surgical management
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Meniscal injuries
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Stress fractures / fractures (tibial plateau, patellar)
Do I need a referral?
YOU DO NOT NEED A REFRRAL
We receive many referrals from surgeons, sports physicians, rheumatologists, GPs, and other allied health professionals (e.g. podiatrists, osteopaths) including physiotherapy colleagues. However, you do not need a referral to see one of our expert physiotherapists to get started on your journey toward solutions to your current injuries or pain, regardless of whether they are new or chronic.
Which ACL pathway is best for me?
Rehabilitation following ACL injury can be a long and involved process, but it can differ considerably based on variables such as your chosen pathway, surgical approach (if you choose this route) and your goals.
Rather than adhering to time frames to progress through rehabilitation, the rehabilitation following ACL injury is broken into phases. Each phase will have milestones to achieve before moving to the next phase. Some pathways may have additional phases, and some people may spend longer on particular phases than others. But it is important to progress through the phases in turn based on your chosen pathway and goals
Can I expect to return to sport?
The return to sport following ACL can be an exciting, but anxiety inducing step. The risk of re-injury returning to sport is real but, achieving certain functional and psychological milestones based around you and your goals can reduce the risk of re-injury.
Your physiotherapist will design a return to sport testing battery around you and your goals. All testing is compared between limbs, and also to normative values to give a picture of return to sport readiness.