ACL Rehabilitation in Perth | Murdoch Square | Subiaco
Specialised ACL rehabilitation from early recovery through strength and conditioning, running, plyometrics and return to sport, delivered in Murdoch and Subiaco.
Whether you're preparing for ACL reconstruction or have already undergone surgery, rehabilitation plays an important role in rebuilding your knee strength, physical capacity and confidence.
At Cardiomotion Rehabilitation, we provide specialised ACL rehabilitation using progressive strength and conditioning, with programs tailored to your stage of recovery and sporting goals.
Before surgery, rehabilitation focuses on improving knee movement, muscular strength and physical function. Following reconstruction, your program progressively advances through strength training, running, plyometrics and change-of-direction exercises, with return-to-sport preparation where appropriate.
Throughout rehabilitation, we use objective strength and functional testing to measure your progress and guide your progression towards higher-level activities and sport.
Why Is Rehabilitation Important After an ACL Injury?
If you've torn your ACL, one of your first questions may be whether you need surgery.
The decision depends on several factors, including your knee stability, associated injuries, activity levels and sporting goals. However, regardless of whether you undergo ACL reconstruction or pursue non-surgical management, structured rehabilitation plays an important role in your recovery.
Progressive strength and conditioning helps rebuild muscular strength, knee function and physical capacity. For those aiming to return to sport, rehabilitation also involves progressively developing running, jumping, landing and change-of-direction abilities, with objective testing used to guide progression.
The ACL Rehabilitation Pathway
Assessment
Rehabilitation
Strength and conditioning
Plyometrics
Return to sport
Our ACL Rehabilitation Structure
Initial Consultation
1 hour
Whether you've recently injured your ACL, are preparing for reconstruction or have already undergone surgery, your initial consultation is an opportunity for us to understand your injury, discuss your rehabilitation goals and establish a suitable starting point.
We'll review your medical history, the circumstances of your injury, any associated knee injuries and, where applicable, your surgical procedure and any rehabilitation instructions provided by your surgeon.
Your assessment will include an evaluation of your knee mobility, swelling, lower limb strength and physical function, with testing adapted to your stage of recovery.
We'll also discuss the different stages of ACL rehabilitation, what to expect throughout your recovery and the strength and functional milestones we'll use to guide your progression towards running, higher-level activities and return to sport, where appropriate.
Following your assessment, we'll develop an individualised rehabilitation program based on your current physical capacity, stage of recovery and personal goals.
What to Bring
Medicare card and private health insurance details
Relevant information about your ACL injury or reconstruction surgery, if applicable
Any rehabilitation instructions provided by your surgeon
A current list of medications
Comfortable clothing suitable for physical assessment
Please allow 60 minutes for your initial consultation.
Locations
Murdoch Square
Subiaco
Subsequent Consultation
30 Minutes
Phase 1: Early Rehabilitation
Our follow-up consultations during early ACL rehabilitation focus on managing swelling, restoring knee movement, rebuilding quadriceps strength and gradually improving your walking ability and everyday function.
Depending on your stage of recovery and individual needs, consultations may initially be scheduled approximately once every fortnight.
We'll provide you with a structured home exercise program, monitor your progress and make appropriate adjustments as your knee recovers.
Throughout this phase, we'll assess your knee mobility, swelling, muscular strength and physical function to help determine when you're ready to progress towards more demanding strength and conditioning exercises.
Locations
Murdoch Square
Subiaco
Subsequent Rehabilitation session
45 Minutes
Phase 2: Strength & Conditioning
This phase focuses on progressively rebuilding lower limb strength, muscle mass and physical capacity in preparation for more demanding activities.
Our 1:1 rehabilitation sessions provide supervised gym-based strength and conditioning, with guidance on exercise technique, training intensity and progressive loading.
You'll also receive a structured exercise program through an app, allowing you to complete your training independently at your own gym. Regular consultations and objective strength assessments help us monitor your progress, adjust your training and determine your readiness for higher-level rehabilitation.
Phase 3: Plyometric Training & Return-to-Sport Preparation
As your strength and physical capacity improve, rehabilitation progresses towards plyometric training, including jumping, landing and, where appropriate, change-of-direction exercises.
Our 1:1 sessions provide supervised instruction and progression of these exercises, helping you develop the physical qualities required for your sport or higher-level activities.
Strength and functional performance testing are used to guide your progression, with training adapted to your individual goals and recovery.
Location
Subiaco: Supervised gym-based rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and plyometric training
Plyometric readiness assessment
30 minutes
Before progressing to plyometric training, we'll assess whether your knee and lower limbs are ready to tolerate the increased demands of jumping and landing.
Your assessment will include objective measures of lower limb strength, knee mobility, swelling, balance and movement control. Where appropriate, we'll also assess your ability to perform introductory jumping and landing exercises.
These findings help us identify any remaining strength or functional deficits and determine a suitable starting point for plyometric training.
If you're not quite ready, we'll identify the areas that need further development and adjust your strength and conditioning program accordingly.
Location
Subiaco
Frequently asked questions about ACL rehabilitation
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Time alone does not tell us whether your knee is prepared for running. Before introducing running, we want adequate knee range of motion, minimal or no swelling, sufficient quadriceps strength and the ability to tolerate repeated single-leg loading.
Current clinical guidelines suggest criteria including full knee extension, approximately 95% knee-flexion range of motion, no or only trace effusion, greater than 80% quadriceps strength symmetry and pain-free repeated single-leg hopping. At Cardiomotion, we take more of a strength and conditioning based approach, so we prefer an objective strength measurement along with those recommendations.
Running should therefore be introduced when appropriate criteria are achieved, rather than simply because a certain number of weeks have passed.
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Like running, plyometric training should not begin simply because you have reached a particular week after surgery.
Before progressing into higher-level jumping and landing exercises, we assess your knee symptoms, swelling, strength, single-leg control and ability to tolerate progressively faster loading.
Plyometrics can then progress from relatively simple jumping and landing tasks towards repeated jumping, reactive work and sport-specific movements as your capacity improves. Our ACL recovery program puts plyometric training at phase 3, around 6 months post surgery, however this will vary depending on your function
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An ACL reconstruction may restore stability to the knee, but surgery does not automatically restore everything that was lost following the injury.
Strength, muscle mass, power, rate of force development, running capacity, jumping ability, confidence and sport-specific conditioning all need to be progressively rebuilt. This is why later-stage ACL rehabilitation increasingly resembles strength and conditioning and athletic training.
Another important factor is time. While you may feel considerably better and be functioning well within the first several months, the ACL graft continues to undergo biological remodelling and maturation for 12 months and potentially longer following reconstruction.
Return to higher-level activity therefore considers both how much physical function you have regained and how much time has passed since surgery. Good strength and performance testing at six months does not necessarily mean the biological recovery of the graft is complete.
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Return to sport is a process rather than a single clearance date.
Time since surgery is important because biological healing still needs to occur, but time alone is not enough. Before returning to higher-risk sport, rehabilitation should consider knee symptoms and swelling, range of motion, knee stability, quadriceps and hamstring strength, jumping ability, running mechanics, psychological readiness and your ability to complete sport-specific training.
It also depends on what sport you are participating in. For high-demand pivoting sports, the Aspetar guideline proposes particularly stringent criteria, including restoration of strength and greater than 90% symmetry across several jump measures.
Have a Question About Your ACL Rehabilitation?
Submit the form below to discuss your ACL rehabilitation and where you are currently at in your recovery.
Every person's injury, surgery, recovery and goals are different. Whether you're in the early stages of rehabilitation, rebuilding strength and running capacity, or preparing to return to sport, we can help guide your rehabilitation and progression towards the activities that matter to you.