How effective is sports physiotherapy for an ACL tear?

The anterior cruciate ligament helps control forward movement and rotation of the knee. After a tear, swelling, reduced range of motion, weakness, and episodes of giving way can affect daily tasks and sport. Sports physiotherapy addresses these problems through staged exercises for swelling control, knee movement, quadriceps and hip strength, balance, landing mechanics, and sport-specific control. It can prepare someone for surgery, guide recovery afterward, or support non-operative care when the knee is appropriate for that approach. It cannot reconnect a completely torn ligament.

Begin with an assessment of the injury, knee stability, activity demands, and any associated cartilage or meniscus problems. Follow exercise progression rather than testing the knee with twisting, pivoting, or sudden direction changes. Your programme may move from swelling and motion work to resistance training, balance drills, running preparation, and sport-specific tasks. Progress should be based on movement quality, strength, and symptoms. Learn more about [ACL Tear](/conditions/acl-tear/) and [Sports Physiotherapy](/treatments/physiotherapy-and-rehabilitation/sports-physiotherapy/).

Seek urgent assessment after a new injury if the knee is locked, visibly deformed, rapidly swelling, or impossible to bear weight on. Contact your clinician for repeated giving way, worsening swelling, calf pain or swelling, fever, or new numbness. After surgery, follow the surgical team’s wound and weight-bearing instructions and report increasing redness, drainage, or uncontrolled pain.

How stable is my knee? Are there other injured structures? Is non-operative rehabilitation reasonable for my goals? If surgery is planned, what should I achieve before it and during each recovery stage?