Assessment
A detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave knowing what is wrong, why it happened, and exactly what we are going to do about it.
What We Treat
Post-Surgical Rehabilitation in London
Good post-surgical rehabilitation turns a successful operation into a full recovery: surgery repairs the structure, rehab rebuilds the strength and confidence around it. Across our three London clinics, plus home visits where travel is hard, we run a staged, surgeon-aligned programme that returns you to work, sport and daily life on milestones, not the calendar.
Overview
Understanding post-surgical rehabilitation
What is post-surgical rehabilitation?
Post-surgical rehabilitation is the planned, progressive recovery programme that follows an orthopaedic operation, and it is one of the biggest factors in your final outcome. The operation is only half the job: surgery repairs the structure, and rehabilitation rebuilds the strength, movement and confidence around it. We guide recovery after ACL reconstruction, joint replacement, rotator-cuff repair and other orthopaedic and arthroscopic surgery, both in the clinic and, when getting to us is hard in the early weeks, through home visits across London.
The operations we most often rehabilitate include:
- ACL reconstruction: restoring range, quadriceps and hamstring strength and control before a graded return to pivoting sport.
- Hip or knee joint replacement: rebuilding range of movement, strength and walking pattern in a staged programme.
- Rotator-cuff and shoulder surgery: protected early motion followed by progressive strengthening within the surgeon's precautions.
- Other orthopaedic and arthroscopic procedures: tendon repairs, fracture fixation and meniscal surgery, where strength and load tolerance need rebuilding.
Why does rehab matter as much as the operation?
Because the outcome depends on what you rebuild afterwards. We work within your surgeon's protocol and progress you by meeting strength, range and control milestones, not by the calendar. For ACL in particular, the consensus is clear: objective return-to-sport testing before pivoting, because rushing back is a leading cause of re-injury.
Recovery runs through structured post-operative rehab and coached strength training to rebuild what surgery cannot give back, with objective strength testing guiding return-to-sport decisions, and it is a common route back after knee pain and ACL injury. In the early weeks, when travelling is tiring or awkward on crutches, we can bring that rehab to you at home and step it up as you get moving. We support people returning to work, exercise and sport across our Soho, Liverpool Street and Marylebone clinics. Self-referral; we are happy to liaise with your surgeon.
Post-surgical physiotherapy can help to:
Protect the repair in the early weeks
The first phase is careful by design: controlling swelling, restoring gentle range and protecting what the surgeon has fixed, always within their protocol and precautions. Starting early, often within days, is what stops stiffness and muscle loss taking hold. Get these first weeks right and every later phase is easier.
Work hand in hand with your surgeon
Your programme is built around your operation and your consultant's guidance, and with your consent we liaise with the surgical team directly: sharing findings and progress so everyone is pulling in the same direction. Techniques and timelines vary, so no two programmes are identical.
Progress on milestones, never the calendar
You move to the next phase by meeting strength, range and control criteria, and only then. A staged programme that respects healing while it keeps demanding a little more is what separates a good surgical outcome from a disappointing one.
Rebuild the strength surgery cannot give you
An operation repairs the structure; it does not return the muscle lost to injury, rest and the procedure itself. Coached, progressive strength work is the engine of the later phases, restoring the capacity your knee, hip or shoulder needs for real life. That is the difference between a limb that works and one you still favour a year on.
Test readiness before pivoting sport
After ACL reconstruction the consensus is clear: objective return-to-sport testing before pivoting, because going back on time alone is a leading cause of re-injury. VALD force-plate and dynamometry testing measures your strength and symmetry, so the decision rests on evidence.
Restore confidence in the operated limb
Hesitation and guarding often outlast the tissue healing. The graded programme rebuilds trust in the limb alongside its strength, taking you from protected early movement to walking, stairs, work and sport without thinking about it. That is when rehabilitation is finished.
Why it happens
What affects your recovery?
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Recovery after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, where range, quadriceps and hamstring strength, control and confidence must be progressively rebuilt before a return to pivoting sport
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Recovery after hip or knee joint replacement, where range of movement, strength and walking pattern are restored in a staged programme
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Recovery after rotator-cuff repair or other shoulder surgery, where protected early motion is followed by progressive strengthening within the surgeon's precautions
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Recovery after other orthopaedic or arthroscopic procedures, including tendon repairs, fracture fixation and meniscal surgery, where strength and load tolerance need rebuilding
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Deconditioning, swelling, stiffness and loss of strength that follow any period of post-operative rest and reduced activity
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Loss of movement confidence and altered movement patterns after surgery, which a graded, supervised programme is designed to restore
What happens at your first physio appointment?
The assessment covers a detailed history and a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. We explain what we find and agree a working diagnosis and plan you understand before you leave.
You go home with a written summary and a home-exercise programme built around your diagnosis and goals, so progress continues between visits.
Move better. Train stronger. Live fully. Pain relief that lasts is not enough on its own: we find the cause, then rebuild the strength behind the pain so it stays gone. No guesswork, no generic rehab.
- Three central London clinics: Soho, Liverpool Street and Marylebone, plus home visits across London and online sessions.
- Led by physiotherapist Sam Harvey: 15 years of clinical practice and an elite-sport background across football, rugby and GAA.
- Physiotherapy, strength and nutrition under one roof: three clinicians, three disciplines, joined-up care.
Fees and booking
Ready to optimise you? You can self-refer and book directly: no GP letter needed, and every new patient can start with a free 15-minute consultation call. The same fees apply across our Soho, Liverpool Street and Marylebone clinics.
- Physiotherapy: a full 60 minutes for £145, whether it is your first visit or a follow-up
- 30-minute follow-ups at £90, with video appointments from £70
- Strength training and Reformer Pilates £120, sports massage from £75
- VALD performance and strength testing with a written report, £195
- 5% off a block of five sessions, 10% off a block of ten
- An itemised receipt with every session, for claiming back where your policy covers physiotherapy
How physiotherapy works
from assessment to return to sport
Everything starts with finding the cause. Whether the goal is a marathon start line or a week at your desk without pain, we treat what is driving the problem, then build the strength that keeps it fixed.
Treatment
Hands-on manual therapy combined with a progressive, tailored exercise programme. Sports massage, dry needling, shockwave or Reformer Pilates are added where they help your specific problem.
Rebuild
Coached, progressive strength work restores the load tolerance your body lost, paced to where you start. This is the stage that decides whether the fix lasts.
Perform
Each follow-up reassesses you against your baseline, with VALD testing where useful, so your return to work, sport or training rests on measured readiness. Discharge happens by mutual agreement when you can manage independently.
What our physiotherapists treat
- Physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation
- Coached strength and conditioning
- Reformer Pilates
- Sports massage and soft-tissue therapy
- Dry needling and shockwave therapy
- VALD performance and strength testing
- Post-operative rehabilitation
- Running and gait analysis
- Sports nutrition and dietetics
Treatment approach
How we guide your recovery
Physiotherapy & Sports Rehabilitation
£145A staged, criteria-based rehabilitation programme, working within your surgeon's protocol, restores range of movement, manages swelling, then progressively rebuilds strength, control and function, the core of recovery after ACL reconstruction, joint replacement, rotator-cuff and other orthopaedic surgery.
See treatment detail →VALD Performance & Strength Testing
£195Objective VALD force-plate and dynamometry testing measures strength, asymmetry and readiness, so return-to-activity and return-to-sport decisions after surgery are made on evidence and criteria rather than time alone: the consensus standard before returning to pivoting sport after ACL reconstruction.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
When should I start physiotherapy after surgery?
Usually soon, often within days, but always within your surgeon's protocol and precautions. Early rehabilitation focuses on protecting the repair, controlling swelling and restoring gentle range, then progresses to strengthening as healing allows. We work from your surgeon's guidance and are happy to liaise with them, so recovery is safe at every stage and never rushed.
How long does rehabilitation take after ACL reconstruction?
Recovery is staged and individual, and most guidance describes a return to pivoting sport around nine to twelve months, sometimes longer. Best practice is criteria-based: you progress by meeting strength, control and movement milestones, and we use objective return-to-sport testing before clearing pivoting sport, because returning too early on time alone is a leading cause of re-injury.
Why is rehab so important after a joint replacement?
Surgery replaces the joint, but rehabilitation restores the range, strength and walking pattern that make it work for you. A structured, progressive programme reduces stiffness, rebuilds the muscle lost around the joint and returns you to walking, stairs and daily activity with confidence. Skipping or rushing rehabilitation is why some people never feel the full benefit of their operation.
Do you follow my surgeon's protocol?
Yes. We work within your surgeon's specific post-operative protocol and precautions, and we are happy to liaise with them directly where helpful. Surgical techniques and timelines vary, so your programme is built around your operation and consultant's guidance, then progressed by criteria as you meet each strength, range and control milestone.
Can I have physiotherapy at home after surgery?
Yes. In the early weeks after an operation, getting across London on crutches or in a sling is often the hardest part, so we can bring your rehab to you with home visits. We cover the early, protective work at home, then move you into the clinic and gym as you get steadier and stronger.
When should I seek urgent help after surgery?
Contact your surgical team or seek urgent care if you have a fever, increasing redness, heat or discharge from the wound, calf pain or swelling that could signal a clot, sudden severe pain, or a feeling that something has given way. These need urgent medical review rather than physiotherapy, and we will always direct you back to your surgical team.
Related What We Treat
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Physio and Performance • 111 Charing Cross Road, Soho, London WC2H 0DT
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