Your Complete Guide to ACL Rehabilitation: From Surgery to Sport

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most common and serious knee injuries in sport. Whether it's football, skiing, netball or a simple misstep, tearing your ACL can be both physically and emotionally overwhelming. At Summit Rehabilitation in Tring, we specialise in ACL rehab that gets you back to sport safely, using evidence-based protocols and personalised care.

What Happens After an ACL Injury?

ACL injuries are typically diagnosed with a combination of clinical tests and MRI. Signs include knee swelling, instability or a 'popping' sensation and difficulty weight-bearing. Some people opt for conservative rehab, but many - especially active individuals - require surgical reconstruction followed by structured physiotherapy.

Phases of ACL Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation isn’t linear. Our approach at Summit Rehabilitation is guided by recovery milestones—not just timeframes.

Phase 1: Early Recovery (Weeks 0–2)

Goals:

• Reduce swelling and pain

• Regain full knee extension

• Begin muscle activation through Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Treatment:

• Ice, elevation, and compression

• Heel slides and quad sets

• Gentle manual therapy

  
  

Phase 2: Strength & Movement (Weeks 2–6)

Goals:

• Normalise gait (depending on whether there were any meniscus complications)

• Begin loading safely

Treatment:

• Closed-chain exercises (e.g. wall sits, glute bridges)

• Balance and proprioception drills

• Core stability

  
  

Phase 3: Advanced Strength & Control (Weeks 6–16)

Goals:

• Improve single-leg control

• Restore functional strength

Treatment:

• Split squats, resistance bands and gym-based loading

• Stability work using wobble boards and BOSUs

• Return-to-bike or cross-trainer

  
  

Phase 4: Plyometrics & Running (4–6 months)

Goals:

• Prepare for return to running

• Begin reactive strength work

Treatment:

• Hopping, skipping, low-level plyos

• Running drills (straight-line initially)

• Direction changes introduced gradually

  
  

Phase 5: Return to Sport (6–12+ months)

Goals:

• Meet return-to-play criteria

• Regain confidence and agility

Treatment:

• Sports-specific drills (cutting, pivoting, jumping)

• Functional testing (e.g. hop test, Y-balance test)

• Final-stage strength and neuromuscular work

  
  

Common Mistakes in ACL Rehab

• Returning to running or sport too early

• Ignoring strength imbalances (especially hamstring-to-quads)

• Neglecting psychological readiness

• Skipping neuromuscular and landing mechanics training

• Ill-structured or sporadic rehabilitation sessions

  
  

How Physiotherapy Can Help

At Summit Rehabilitation, our ACL rehab programmes are:

• Individualised: Every ACL journey is different

• Evidence-led: Based on the latest rehab science

• Sport-specific: Focused on your athletic goals

  
  

We also liaise with surgeons and performance coaches when needed to ensure a seamless return to training and competition.

Case Study: ACL Return to Rugby

A 26-year-old semi-professional rugby player underwent ACL reconstruction following a non-contact injury. Using a phased programme at Summit Rehabilitation, she returned to sport after 12 months, passed all hop and agility tests and continues to play without recurrence.

Summary

Recovering from an ACL injury is a marathon, not a sprint. But with structured rehab, expert guidance and sport-specific planning, you can return stronger than ever.

Need ACL Rehab? Book your assessment at Summit Rehabilitation in Tring and take the first step towards a confident return to sport.