Why “Prehab” Before ACL Surgery Can Make a Difference.

July 28, 2026
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If you’re waiting for an ACL reconstruction, it might seem like the best option is to rest until surgery. However, this review found that starting rehabilitation before your operation (“prehabilitation”) can improve your recovery afterwards. 

Prehabilitation focuses on improving strength, balance and knee function before surgery, helping you go into the operation in the best possible condition. 

What the Review Found

People who completed a prehabilitation programme showed: 

● Greater quadriceps strength before surgery 

● Better knee function both before and after surgery 

● Improved single-leg hop performance during rehabilitation 

● A trend towards returning to sport sooner 

● Higher rates of returning to their pre-injury level of sport up to two years after surgery compared with those who didn’t complete prehabilitation 

What This Means for You

If you’re preparing for ACL surgery: 

● Don’t wait until after your operation to start rehab

● Building strength, balance and confidence beforehand can improve your recovery

● Going into surgery stronger helps reduce the loss of muscle strength that commonly occurs afterwards

Takeaway 

Recovery from ACL surgery starts before the operation. Completing a structured prehabilitation programme can improve knee function, speed up your rehabilitation, and increase your chances of returning to the activities and sports you enjoy.

Newsletter Insight By: Emre Oz (Head of Integrated MSK & Sports Medicine Operations at Crouch Physio/Specialist MSK Physiotherapist).

Reference: 

Giesche, F., Niederer, D., Banzer, W., & Vogt, L. (2020). Evidence for the effects of prehabilitation before ACL-reconstruction on return to sport-related and self-reported knee function: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 15(10), e0240192.

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HIGH LEVEL SUPPORT

Here at Crouch Physio, we offer the highest level of support to all of our clients. This includes being able to text or email any of our specialists between appointments.
We offer this high level support because we have seen that this drastically reduces expected recovery time for our clients which allows them to get back to normal activities quicker.
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EDUCATION

Here at Crouch Physio, we will make sure to educate each and every single one of our clients on their diagnosis and how to best manage when away from the clinic setting. ⁣
We do this because education has been consistently shown across literature to be one of the most important factors for a quick and efficient recovery.
So don’t just expect to come into our clinic and receive ONLY manual based treatments. Although we do offer great symptom relieving treatments, evidence shows that its effectiveness increases with good patient education.
We make sure we educate because we have seen that this drastically reduces expected recovery times for our clients which allows them to get back to normal activities quicker.
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OBJECTIVE TESTING

Here at Crouch Physio, we don’t do guesswork. We use the latest technology to provide us clinicians with numerical objective data which allows us to apply the correct interventions at the right time.
Objectively assessing outcome measures also gives our patients confidence that they are improving under our care, as well as allowing them to monitor their own progress.
So whether you’re an active person trying to get stronger or a sedentary individual suffering pain/stiffness, you will know that your condition is improving with our specialist assessment tools.
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TAILORED REHABILITATION

Here at Crouch Physio, we have access to the very best rehabilitation amenities, the same facilities used by premier league football players and other elite athletes.
Unlike most Physiotherapy clinics, our clients will split their time with their physio between the clinic room, gym area and our upstairs studio where you’ll find our VALD performance force-plates, allowing for a more in-depth assessment and individualised plans.
Upon your initial consultation with us, we will likely use the latest technology to obtain as much baseline data as we can, which allows our physiotherapists to make smarter/more informed decisions around client care.
Our world class facilities allow for us to safely and gradually phase our clients back to their baseline level of physical activity before injury.
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