Assessment
Your physiotherapist discusses your symptoms, goals, medical history and lifestyle, then completes a thorough assessment. Initial appointments are typically 45 to 60 minutes, so there is time to do it properly.
What We Treat
Post-Operative Rehabilitation in London
A good operation is only half the result: the range of motion and strength you recover depend on rehab that starts at the right time, because what you lose in the first weeks takes far longer to win back. Structured post-operative rehabilitation in London and Henley after hip and knee replacement, ACL reconstruction, shoulder repair, and ankle reconstruction, co-ordinated with your surgeon and measured against your baseline at every visit.
Overview
Understanding post-operative rehabilitation
A good operation is only half the result. Surgery repairs the structure; rehabilitation restores the function, and how much range and strength you get back depends heavily on rehab that starts at the right time. What you lose in the first weeks after an operation takes far longer to win back.
Post-operative rehab is one of the most predictable areas of physiotherapy when it is done well. We work within your surgeon's protocol where one is supplied, then layer our own staged progression and testing on top:
- Early stage: protect the repair, settle swelling, restore range of movement and reactivate the muscle around the joint.
- Middle stage: rebuild strength, control and load capacity, filmed through Track Rehab so your technique stays right between visits.
- Late stage: restore power, agility and the specific demands of your work or sport before you are cleared.
You progress between stages on objective criteria: restored range, strength, gait and at least 90 % limb symmetry, rather than on time alone. Most early rehab runs weekly for 8 to 12 weeks, while full return to sport after a major reconstruction takes 6 to 12 months depending on the procedure, and we give you an honest projection at the first appointment.
Physiotherapy leads every post-operative plan. Soft tissue therapy restores scar glide from around six to eight weeks post-op, and osteopathy helps where a compensatory pattern develops elsewhere. Much of this work follows joint replacement for osteoarthritis or reconstruction after a sports injury.
Excellent
From 4 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
I first started using Tom last year to help relieve back pain, he has been extremely helpful and now he's supporting me with sprint and fitness training, whilst helping with any minor injuries. Can't recommend him and his team more highly.
I went to Tom with a shoulder injury that had not improved for several months. Tom is very knowledgeable and quickly identified the issue and put me on a course of exercises that, in conjunction with a couple more sessions, steadily resolved the problem. I would highly recommend him.
Parinita was brilliant! Identified my knee problem immediately, used a range of equipment and exercises not only to strengthen my knee, but to maintain it and improve my running long-term.
Excellent service! Sanchez is a true professional who helped me heal a previous injury. Highly recommend!
Post-operative physiotherapy can help to:
Start rehab at the right time
Most surgeons want rehabilitation under way within 1 to 2 weeks of the operation, sooner still for joint replacement and ACL reconstruction. Starting on schedule is one of the biggest single drivers of the long-term result. Same-week appointments are typically available across our three clinics.
Work to your surgeon's protocol
Where your surgeon supplies a written protocol, we follow it and layer our own progression and testing on top. We work with most major London orthopaedic surgeons regularly, and where no protocol exists we proceed on current best-practice guidance for your specific procedure.
Restore range, strength and gait
Every visit measures you against the baseline from session one: joint range, strength symmetry between the operated and non-operated side, and how you walk. Early rehab typically runs weekly for 8 to 12 weeks, with load progressed as the tissue and the measures allow.
Mobilise the scar
From 6 to 8 weeks post-op, scar work and soft-tissue mobilisation around the surgical site restore tissue glide and speed up range-of-motion gains. Our soft-tissue team does exactly this work, integrated with the physiotherapy plan rather than booked as a separate fix.
Catch compensations before they set
Limping, guarding and off-loading patterns develop quickly in the early weeks and can outlast the surgery itself: low back pain after a hip replacement, neck pain after shoulder repair. We watch for them at every visit and treat the secondary picture alongside the primary rehab.
Plan an honest timeline
Hip replacement: 8 to 12 weeks to solid function. Knee replacement: 12 to 16. ACL reconstruction with return to pivoting sport: 9 to 12 months with structured testing. You get a projection for your procedure at the first appointment and a reassessment against it every visit.
Why it happens
When is post-operative rehab needed?
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Joint replacement surgery (hip, knee, shoulder): most commonly after osteoarthritis
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Ligament reconstruction (ACL, MCL, lateral ankle): after acute sport injury
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Tendon repair (rotator cuff, Achilles, distal biceps)
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Cartilage and meniscal procedures (debridement, repair, transplant)
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Spinal surgery: discectomy, fusion, decompression
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Abdominal, gynaecological, or breast surgery where return-to-function physiotherapy is appropriate
What happens at your first physio appointment?
Initial appointments are typically 45 to 60 minutes. You leave with a clear explanation of your condition, treatment recommendations, a report explaining it in simple language, and a personalised rehabilitation plan.
Follow-ups run 30 to 45 minutes, and we reassess at every visit rather than selling you a block of sessions up front.
A thorough, honest, and understandable explanation. Then the best treatment to get you back to a level of activity beyond your pre-injury status. If we can't get you better, we will recommend the world's leading healthcare professionals in London that can.
- Founded in 2015 by Tom Astley: 7 clinicians working across 3 clinics in Crouch End, Marylebone and Henley-on-Thames.
- Our team has successfully worked with local, national and international athletes at 6 major multi-sport events, from London 2012 to Gold Coast 2018, and we bring that expertise to everyone who enters our service.
- Rated 4.9 from 88 Google reviews; recognised by 5 major UK insurers, and self-funded patients book online with no GP referral.
Fees and insurance
Book directly online through Splose. Self-funded patients need no GP referral; if you are claiming through insurance, obtain prior authorisation before booking.
- Physiotherapy with Tom Astley: £85 initial consultation, £77 follow-up
- Sports and dance therapy with Laura Fornoni: £75 initial consultation, £70 follow-up
- Shockwave therapy: £230 for the initial consultation plus 3 sessions, then £80 per further treatment
- Running gait and performance reviews: £80 Base, £135 Intermediate, £185 Expert
- Recognised by Bupa, Cigna, Vitality, WPA and Simply Health
How physiotherapy works
from assessment to return to sport
Book today to get an assessment, advice, a report and a rehabilitation plan. We combine hands-on treatment with gym-based rehab to get you well, today, and we reassess at every visit.
Advice and report
A clear explanation of your condition and a report explaining it in simple language, alongside hands-on treatment: manual therapy, soft tissue techniques and joint mobilisation where they help.
Rehabilitation plan
Exercise rehabilitation tailored to your goals and condition, delivered through Track Rehab. Our clinics sit inside gym facilities, so the plan has the equipment and technology it actually needs.
Return
Structured programmes and return-to-sport testing before you go back, so you return safely and confidently. The goal is a level of activity beyond your pre-injury status, not just less pain.
What our physiotherapists treat
- Manual therapy and joint mobilisation
- Exercise rehabilitation through Track Rehab
- Dry needling for stubborn trigger points
- Shockwave therapy for chronic tendinopathy
- Sensor-based running gait analysis
- Sports massage, scar work and soft tissue therapy
- Women's health, Mummy MOT and postnatal rehabilitation
- Post-operative and ACL rehabilitation
- Return-to-sport testing
Treatment approach
How do we approach post-operative rehab?
Physiotherapy & Sports Therapy
From £75Post-operative rehab is led by the physiotherapy team: surgeon's protocol layered with progressive loading, range of motion, gait re-training, and structured return-to-function or return-to-sport.
See treatment detail →Soft Tissue Therapy
Price on enquiryScar work and soft-tissue mobilisation around the surgical site (from 6 to 8 weeks post-op) restore tissue glide and accelerate range-of-motion gains.
See treatment detail →Osteopathy
Price on enquiryFor cases where compensatory pain patterns develop elsewhere (low back after hip replacement, neck after shoulder surgery), osteopathic case-history-led care addresses the secondary picture.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
When should I start physiotherapy after surgery?
Most surgeons want rehab to start within the first 1 to 2 weeks post-op, often sooner for joint replacement or ACL reconstruction. The exact timing comes from your surgeon's protocol: bring it to your first appointment. Starting too late costs range of motion and function that takes much longer to recover; starting at the right time is one of the biggest single drivers of long-term outcome.
Do you co-ordinate with my surgeon?
Yes, where the surgeon supplies a written rehab protocol or wants direct communication. We work with most major London orthopaedic surgeons and their protocols regularly. If your surgeon hasn't given you a protocol we'll proceed using current best-practice guidance for your specific procedure and adapt to the operative notes you bring.
How long does post-op rehab take?
It depends on the surgery. Total hip replacement: 8 to 12 weeks for most independence and function. Total knee replacement: 12 to 16 weeks. ACL reconstruction with return-to-pivoting sport: 9 to 12 months with structured testing. Rotator cuff repair: 6 to 9 months for full return to overhead sport. We'll give you an honest projection at the first appointment based on your specific procedure and starting point.
Will my insurance cover post-op rehab?
Most major UK insurers cover post-op physiotherapy when it is part of the agreed surgical care pathway: Bupa, Cigna, Vitality, WPA, and Simply Health all reimburse with prior authorisation. The number of covered sessions varies by policy; we will help you stretch the cover as far as it sensibly goes and discuss self-funded continuation if more rehab is genuinely needed.
Related What We Treat
Get Started
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in Crouch End, Marylebone or Henley.
Tom Astley Physiotherapy • Park Road Pools & Fitness, Crouch End, London N8 8JN
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