Yoga guide
Yoga can sit alongside your physiotherapy after an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction, as long as it fits the stage you're at and your team agrees: breathing and lying poses in the first weeks, shallow standing poses holding a chair from about 2 to 6 weeks, and one-leg balance from about 6 weeks. It hasn't been tested as ACL rehabilitation, though. No trial exists, and the strength and balance programme your physiotherapist gives you, over 9 months or more, is the treatment.
The changes are mostly about the knee: keep it straight in rests with a towel under your heel, bend it only a little at first, don't twist on it, don't kneel until it's comfortable (that takes longer after a patellar tendon graft), and step rather than jump. This guide covers when to start, the poses to keep and change, kneeling and your graft, a meniscus repair, hot yoga, balance and return to sport, and a free 25-minute class. Our ACL surgery recovery guide has the full rehabilitation stages.
Recovery is months of progressive strength and balance work: the NHS says you'll have regular physiotherapy for a few months, and it can take up to a year to play sport again. Guidelines say strength and control training must be combined, and "one cannot replace the other". Yoga sits inside that plan, never in place of it.
Our searches found none, and the one trial that added yoga to physiotherapy after knee injuries left out ligament tears that needed surgery. The timings and pose choices on this page are our reading of NHS rehabilitation protocols, untested, and each stage starts when your team says so.
Guidelines rate balance and control training as improving function, and NHS protocols add one-leg balance from about week 2 and flexibility work from about week 4. Standing poses and one-leg balances are one way to do some of that; they don't replace the loaded strength work or the return-to-sport tests.
The NHS says "do not put a pillow under your knee when resting" and to avoid twisting your knee early on, and one NHS trust keeps squats to 0 to 60 degrees of bend for the first 3 to 4 weeks. So: a rolled towel under your heel, a shallow chair pose, short stances, and no lotus, hero, pigeon or deep squats until the knee bends fully and your team agrees.
In a New Zealand registry of 10,999 people, which we read as an abstract, 21.3% had severe kneeling difficulty 2 years after a patellar tendon graft against 9.4% after a hamstring graft. Pad the knee, keep kneeling short, and use standing versions until it's comfortable.
Second ACL injuries are common: 23% in people under 25 who went back to sport. Experts say decisions based on time alone should be abandoned in favour of tests, and yoga doesn't replace those tests or your injury prevention warm-up.
The torn ligament in the middle of the knee is replaced with a graft, usually from a hamstring tendon, sometimes from the patellar tendon below the kneecap or the quadriceps tendon above it. Most people go home the same day. The NHS says "You'll usually be able to do most activities again within a few months. But it can take up to a year to be able to play sport again."
People in the months after an ACL reconstruction who did yoga before or want to use it during recovery, and people back in sport who want yoga alongside their prevention warm-up. It isn't the rehabilitation plan: our ACL surgery recovery guide has the stages, exercises, running progression and return-to-sport tests, and our ACL injury guide covers deciding about surgery. After a knee replacement or meniscus surgery, our yoga after knee replacement and yoga for a meniscus tear guides apply instead.
In a Swedish trial of 121 young active adults with a new ACL tear, structured rehabilitation with surgery only if needed did as well as early reconstruction at 5 years and at 11, and about half of that group never had the operation. Our ACL injury guide covers that decision; get the knee assessed before you go back to yoga.
Standing poses are closed-chain work, the kind NHS protocols start early, as long as the bend stays inside the range allowed: chair pose is a shallow squat, warrior II and high lunge are split-stance knee bends, and tree pose and warrior III are one-leg balance. In a lab study of 13 experienced practitioners, triangle pose put the largest sideways load on the knee of the three poses tested, one reason to keep a soft front knee there. NCCIH (the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) says sprains and strains, most often of the knee or lower leg, are the commonest yoga injuries.
These timings are our reading of NHS rehabilitation protocols, which differ between hospitals. They haven't been tested for yoga, and each stage starts only when your team says so.
Your physiotherapy exercises little and often, slow breathing, seated upper-body poses, and corpse pose with a rolled towel under your heel, never your knee. One NHS trust's week 1 targets are a fully straight knee and a straight-leg raise with no lag. The NHS asks you not to stand for long periods early on, as it can cause swelling.
Chair pose, short-stance warrior II and tree pose with the toes down, bridges, heel slides and strap stretches. One NHS trust works towards about 90 degrees of bend by week 2 and 120 by week 4, and another adds lunging, two-leg bridges and calf raises from week 2. No kneeling, and no twisting on the knee.
Our 25-minute class 2 or 3 times a week, on days off from your main strength sessions, adding warrior III and half moon at a wall as your balance allows (our editorial starting point). NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's second phase, about 4 to 12 weeks, works on full movement and flexibility of the calf, thigh, hamstrings, hip flexors and inner thigh, and moves strength work from two legs to one.
Beginners' classes, stepping rather than jumping; kneeling short and padded once it's comfortable; deep bends only once the knee bends fully. One NHS trust keeps running, pivoting, jumping and cutting out until about 3 months, then starts straight-line jogging only with good single-leg control.
Yoga on rest days, alongside your injury prevention warm-up and strength work, never instead of them. One NHS trust says the earliest return to sport is likely to be 6 months, and that the risk of injury "is significantly reduced when return-to-sport criteria are met and by waiting until nine months after your operation".
PubMed found 17 records for yoga with ACL, knee surgery or knee injury terms and Europe PMC 2, none a yoga study after reconstruction. One registered trial, of a mindfulness body scan after reconstruction in Taiwan, is still recruiting.
In an Indian hospital, 212 people with knee sports injuries treated without surgery had physiotherapy alone or physiotherapy plus daily poses. The yoga group reported less pain and stiffness up to 6 months, but the study excluded ligament tears that needed surgery, describes its design in different ways in different places, and used a questionnaire built for osteoarthritis. We build no advice on it.
Source 6
Aspetar's guideline says exercise is "the foundation of ACLR rehabilitation" (rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction) and that "Strength and motor control training should be combined in the rehabilitation protocol and one cannot replace the other", though most of its recommendations rest on very low-certainty evidence. The German Knee Society's 2026 consensus rates rehabilitation lasting 9 months or more, neuromuscular training and proprioceptive (joint position) training as likely to improve control and function. Neither mentions yoga.
Balance and proprioception training alone did no better than strength training on function in two small studies, and adding it gave no extra benefit in some. Yoga's balance poses can be part of the control side; the leg press, split squats and step-downs in our ACL surgery recovery guide stay. Our Pilates after ACL surgery guide covers trunk and hip work alongside rehabilitation.
Source 2
Of 795 people who didn't return to play, 64.7% gave a psychological reason, most often fear of another injury. Psychological approaches eased fear of movement and pain a little at 3 months on very low-quality evidence, and an online programme for 161 young athletes didn't raise return to sport (36% in both groups). Slow breathing and relaxation may help you feel calmer; your physiotherapist builds confidence through graded practice of the movements you fear.
In 94 trials, yoga was about as safe as usual care or other exercise. NCCIH says knee injuries may call for modified poses, and advises learning with a qualified teacher.
The NHS says "do not put a pillow under your knee when resting". In corpse pose and every lying rest, put a rolled towel under your heel or calf, never under your knee, so the knee can straighten.
One NHS trust keeps squats "in a range of motion of 0-60 degrees of flexion" for the first 3 to 4 weeks, then deeper as able; another starts mini squats from 0 to 30 degrees. In yoga, chair pose, warrior II and high lunge stay shallow, roughly a third of the way to sitting, for the first month, going deeper as the bend returns and your physiotherapist allows (our reading).
The NHS asks you to avoid twisting your knee early on, and one NHS protocol keeps breaststroke, whose kick twists a bent knee, out until week 12. We suggest treating lotus, half lotus, pigeon, fire log and hero with the feet turned out at least as cautiously: leave them until full movement is back and your team agrees. Keep the front knee and foot pointing the same way in lunges.
NHS protocols keep running, pivoting, jumping and cutting (changing direction quickly) out until about 3 months and the right checks. Step back in sun salutations, and don't turn on a planted foot.
About 4% need another operation for loss of movement after reconstruction, more often after a meniscus repair or when early movement is delayed; the usual treatments are manipulation under anaesthetic or keyhole release of scar tissue. One NHS protocol asks for prompt action on pain, inflammation or limited movement that persists, because the knee can stiffen with scar tissue. Yoga can keep you doing your heel slides and straightening work, but a knee that isn't getting straight or bending as expected is a call to your physiotherapist, not a reason to force a pose.
Our wording of the NHS advice not to put a pillow under your knee when resting, and of the heel prop in NHS protocols (Cambridge University Hospitals). Corpse pose, 3 minutes, is in our yoga after knee replacement class.
See the movement on the 3D figure: Corpse pose (Savasana)
In a New Zealand registry of 10,999 people, 21.3% had severe kneeling difficulty 2 years after a patellar tendon graft against 9.4% after a hamstring graft, with no difference in knee pain overall. In a Norwegian registry of 10,329, hamstring grafts lowered the odds of kneeling problems at 5 years. Both are registries we read as abstracts, and a Cochrane review of 19 trials, many at high risk of bias, also found more kneeling problems after patellar grafts.
In a trial of 112 people, a quadriceps tendon graft tolerated kneeling better than a hamstring graft at 6, 12 and 24 months.
Source 29
No NHS leaflet we read gives a date for kneeling. Kneel only once the wound has healed and your team agrees, on a folded blanket, for short spells. With a patellar graft, expect it to be uncomfortable for longer, and use standing versions until it isn't: high lunge instead of low lunge, a chair instead of all fours.
Child's pose, hero pose and a deep squat fold the knee fully under your weight. They wait until the knee bends fully and your physiotherapist agrees. A lying knee hug, holding behind the thigh, or child's pose with a bolster under your hips are the swaps (our suggestion).
Aspetar: "When concomitant injuries (ie, meniscal, cartilage) are present, the early rehabilitation phase should be adapted according to the surgeon's instructions." One NHS leaflet says a meniscus repair may mean different guidance on putting weight through the leg and moving the knee, and our meniscus surgery guide notes bending is often limited to 90 degrees for about 6 weeks. A meniscus repair also makes the knee more likely to stiffen, so tell your team promptly if the bend isn't coming back.
One NHS passport checks single-leg balance of more than 43 seconds with your eyes open and 9 seconds with them closed before a later stage, and balance work starts early in NHS protocols. Tree pose, warrior III and half moon at a wall are ways to practise it (our reading).
Return-to-sport testing compares strength and hops between the legs, and an international consensus says "Purely time-based RTS decision-making should be abandoned" (RTS means return to sport). In the Delaware-Oslo cohort of 106 people, each month of delay up to 9 months cut the reinjury rate by 51%, and in 159 young Swedish athletes, going back before 9 months went with a rate of new injury about 7 times higher. These are cohorts: they can't separate waiting from being ready.
Across 19 studies, 15% had a second ACL injury, 21% of people under 25 and 23% of under-25s who went back to sport. Yoga hasn't been tested as ACL injury prevention; the US prevention guideline covers exercise programmes of strength, balance, jumping and landing, which our knee control warm-up follows.
Across 69 studies, 81% went back to some sport, 65% to their previous level and 55% to competitive sport.
Source 35
No study has tested hot yoga or heat after ACL surgery. A 2025 review of 43 studies, many weak, found that claims hot yoga beats other yoga "are at present unsubstantiated", and NCCIH says hot yoga "has special risks related to overheating and dehydration". After surgery the NHS uses ice, not heat, for swelling. We suggest waiting until the wound has healed, the knee no longer swells after exercise and you're past the strength-and-balance stage.
Slow breathing, 2 minutes, lying with a rolled towel under the heel of the operated leg (our yoga after knee replacement class). Breath reach: "5 breaths, exhale longer than inhale" (the move page's dose), sitting with the leg resting straight on a stool. Quad sets, 10 holds of 5 seconds; straight-leg raises, 10 each side, only once the knee stays straight as you lift; heel slides, 10 slow repetitions each side inside the range your team allows; ankle circles, 10 slow circles each way with each foot, little and often; corpse pose, 3 minutes with the towel under your heels, never your knees (all our yoga after knee replacement class). Your physiotherapist's own doses come first.
3D demoSlow breathing (6 breaths a minute)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoBreath reachBeginner · No equipment
3D demoQuad set (static quads)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoStraight-leg raiseBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSupine heel slideBeginner · No equipment
3D demoAnkle circlesBeginner · No equipment
3D demoCorpse pose (Savasana)Beginner · No equipmentMountain pose, 5 breaths, knees soft, one hand on a chair; chair pose, 3 holds of 10 to 15 seconds, holding the chair back and bending only about a third of the way to sitting; sit to stand, 2 sets of 8; warrior II, 3 breaths each side, side-on to a chair with a short stance and the front knee pointing over the middle of the foot; glute bridge, 8 slow lifts; strap hamstring stretch, 2 holds of 30 seconds each leg, but after a hamstring graft leave it out until your team allows it (following the site's ACL guidance); wall calf stretch, 30 seconds each side (all our yoga after knee replacement class). Warrior I, 3 breaths each side with a short stance and the back heel lifted (our yoga for knee pain class). Calf raise, 10, hands on a counter (our yoga after hip replacement class).
3D demoMountain pose (Tadasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoChair pose (Utkatasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoWarrior I (Virabhadrasana I)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSlow calf raiseBeginner · A wall
3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSupine hamstring stretch with a strapBeginner · No equipment
3D demoWall calf stretch (gastrocnemius)Beginner · A wallSingle-leg stand, 2 holds of 20 to 30 seconds each side, fingertips on a counter and the standing knee soft (our yoga after hip replacement class). Tree pose, 3 breaths each side, heel at your ankle with the toes down at first, never pressed into the side of the knee (our yoga after knee replacement class). Side-stepping: "10 steps each way, next to a counter" (the move page's dose). High lunge, 5 breaths each side, front knee over the ankle and no back knee on the floor yet; warrior III, 3 to 5 breaths each side, hands on a wall at hip height; half moon, 3 to 5 breaths each side from about 3 months, bottom hand on a block and back near a wall (all our yoga for glutes class).
3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wall
3D demoTree pose (Vrksasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSide-stepping (sideways walking)Beginner · A wall
3D demoHigh lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoWarrior III (Virabhadrasana III)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoHalf moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana)Advanced · A stepCat-cow: "8 waves, slower than feels natural" (the move page's dose), on a folded blanket, or on a chair with your hands on your knees until kneeling is comfortable. Low lunge, 45 seconds each side, back knee padded, and single-leg glute bridge, 8 to 10 each side, only once your team allows loaded hamstring work after a hamstring graft (both our yoga for legs class). Child's pose, 1 minute, with a bolster under your hips so the knee doesn't fold all the way (our yoga for stress class).
Leave out hero and reclining hero until the knee bends fully and your team agrees; sit on a chair or a high cushion instead. Leave out lotus, half lotus, fire log and pigeon until full movement is back, because they twist a bent knee when the hip runs out of turn; reclined figure four or a chair are the swaps. Keep the deep squat and goddess pose shallow in the first months. No kneeling (child's pose, low lunge, camel) until it's comfortable and your team agrees, then pad it. Step back in sun salutations, never jump, until you're cleared for hopping and landing. Leave out revolved chair until the bend is back. In happy baby, hold behind your thighs, not your feet. Our reading, agreeing with our knee replacement and meniscus tear yoga guides and the moves' own cautions. If a pose or a class leaves your knee sore, our knee pain after yoga and knee pain after Pilates guides cover what to change.
3D demoHero pose (Virasana)Intermediate · Firm cushion
3D demoReclining hero pose (Supta Virasana)Advanced · Firm cushion
3D demoFire log pose (Agnistambhasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoPigeon preparation (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoDeep squat holdIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoGoddess pose (Utkata Konasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoCamel pose (Ustrasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoRevolved chair pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoHappy baby pose (Ananda Balasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSun salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)Intermediate · No equipmentOur 25-minute class first, from about 6 weeks when your team agrees: knee-straight breathing, the physiotherapy basics, shallow standing strength and one-leg balance at a wall, with no kneeling, jumping or pivoting. It's our own selection, untested in a trial, with doses from our knee replacement, hip replacement, knee pain and glutes classes. The knee replacement class suits the first standing weeks as it is. The knee strengthening, low-impact leg and balance workouts belong to our ACL surgery recovery guide's plan, and the knee control warm-up to the return-to-sport stage. The balance, legs and glutes yoga classes fit from about 3 months, once kneeling on a pad is comfortable.
A 25-minute yoga class for the months after ACL reconstruction: knee-straight breathing, rehab basics, shallow standing strength and one-leg balance at a wall.
25 minBeginner18 movesBench or box, wallA 25-minute kneel-free yoga class for after a knee replacement: seated breathing, standing poses at a chair, gentle bends lying down and a heel-supported rest.
25 minBeginner18 movesBench or box, something with weightA 15-minute chair yoga routine done entirely sitting: slow breathing, neck, shoulder and wrist stretches, seated twists and side bends, and a calm finish.
15 minBeginner16 movesBench or boxA 6-minute breathing routine: slow breathing, crocodile breathing, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing.
6 minBeginner5 movesNo equipmentA 25-minute session for knees that don't currently hurt: thigh and hamstring strength, single-leg control, then an optional full-range block with knees over toes.
25 minBeginner14 movesBench or box, wallA gentle leg strength routine with no jumping: sit-to-stands, step-ups, wall sits, bridges and calf raises.
20 minBeginner7 movesBench or box, stepBalance practice in 10 minutes: tandem stance, single-leg stands, marches, heel walks, tree pose and floor transfers.
10 minBeginner7 movesWall, bench or boxA 20-minute warm-up that trains your knees to track over your toes: side-hip strength, squats and lunges with alignment practice, balance and quiet landings.
20 minBeginner10 movesWall, bandThirty minutes of standing yoga for balance: strong standing poses, one-leg poses at the wall, and side steps, backward steps, reaches and sit-to-stands.
30 minBeginner16 movesWall, bench or boxA 25-minute yoga routine for your legs: standing holds for the thighs, one-leg poses for the glutes, bridges, calf and shin raises, then hip and hamstring stretches.
25 minBeginner17 movesStep, wallA 25-minute yoga class for your glutes: bridges and locust, chair pose and lunges, warrior III and half moon, side work, then a short stretch and rest.
25 minBeginner16 movesStep, wallThese are the warning signs from our ACL surgery recovery guide, our yoga after knee replacement guide and our other yoga guides, word for word, with one line of our own, labelled. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
Leg pain or swelling with breathlessness or chest pain: call 999 or go to A&E, and do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
Call 999 if:
Use your team's rule first. As a working limit, keep pain during and after exercise at 3 out of 10 or less; if it goes higher you're usually doing too much, so cut the repetitions or the load. This is borrowed from an NHS trust's leaflet for ACL injuries treated without surgery, as our ACL injury guide does.
Swelling is the second gauge. Measure round the middle of both knees with a soft tape: more than about 1 cm bigger on the operated side may mean you're overdoing it, so let it settle first. One NHS trust says that if the knee gets warmer, more swollen or more painful after an exercise, ease off that exercise, use ice and raise the leg, and tell your physiotherapist.
A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
You can say no to any hands-on adjustment, and a teacher registered with Yoga Alliance must get your explicit consent each time.
Our suggestion, from the NHS's early advice: no twisting on the operated knee, no kneeling until your team agrees and it's comfortable, and a rolled towel under your heel, never under your knee, in every rest.
With glaucoma, or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds. With osteoporosis, swap deep forward folds for a flat-back hinge from the hips, and twist smoothly. In pregnancy, our yoga in pregnancy guide covers the changes. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing.
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
No trial has tested yoga after ACL reconstruction. Rehabilitation is progressive strength and control training for 9 months or more, and "one cannot replace the other". Yoga can add balance practice, range and calm beside it.
No study has tested heat or hot yoga after knee surgery, hot yoga's claimed extra benefits are unproven, and it carries risks of overheating and dehydration. A knee that won't straighten or bend has scar tissue that needs early movement, your physiotherapist and sometimes surgery, and the NHS uses ice, not heat, for swelling.
Balance is one check among many: NHS passports test strength, hops and single-leg control as well, and an international consensus wants a team decision using physical tests and psychological readiness, not time alone. Returning to pivoting sport early went with more reinjuries.
Most people can. In a registry of 10,999 people, read as an abstract, severe kneeling difficulty 2 years on affected 12.0% overall, more after a patellar tendon graft (21.3%) than a hamstring graft (9.4%), and a quadriceps tendon graft tolerated kneeling better than a hamstring graft in a trial.
One NHS trust says to prop the heel "making sure that you do not force the movement", and our ACL guide's working limit is pain of 3 out of 10 or less. Forcing hero pose or a deep squat isn't the route; heel slides and your physiotherapist's plan are.
No yoga study has tested that. Exercise-based prevention programmes of strength, balance, jumping and landing are what the US guideline covers, and second injuries remain common, especially under 25.
Yes, usually, as an extra to your physiotherapy rather than instead of it, and only what your team allows at each stage. No trial has tested yoga after ACL reconstruction, so the poses here follow the NHS rehabilitation stages. Strength training stays the core of your recovery.
Slow breathing, seated upper-body poses and lying poses that match your exercises can start in the first weeks. Standing poses holding a chair usually fit from about 2 to 6 weeks, and one-leg balance from about 6 weeks, when your team agrees. These timings are our reading of NHS protocols, and your team's come first.
Early on, anything that kneels, folds the knee fully under your weight (hero, child's pose, deep squats) or twists a bent knee (lotus, pigeon, fire log), and jumping in sun salutations. The NHS asks you to avoid twisting your knee, bending down and reaching up as much as possible in the first weeks. Bring them back gradually once the knee bends fully and your team agrees.
Once the wound has healed and your team agrees, on a folded blanket and for short spells. Kneeling is harder after a patellar tendon graft: in one large registry, about 1 in 5 people had severe kneeling difficulty at 2 years, against about 1 in 10 after a hamstring graft. Until it's comfortable, use standing or chair versions.
It can help with balance, range and feeling calmer, but it hasn't been tested as ACL rehabilitation. Guidelines say strength and balance training must be combined and one can't replace the other, and recovery takes 9 months or more of progressive work. Use yoga beside your physiotherapy plan.
We suggest waiting until the wound has healed, the knee no longer swells after exercise and you're past the strength-and-balance stage. No study has tested heat after knee surgery, heat doesn't loosen scar tissue, and the NHS uses ice for swelling. Hot yoga also carries risks of overheating and dehydration.
Get the knee assessed first, and see our ACL injury guide. In a Swedish trial of 121 young active adults, structured rehabilitation with surgery only if needed did as well as early reconstruction at 5 and 11 years, and about half never had the operation. Gentle, controlled poses can fit that rehabilitation, but poses that pivot, twist on a bent knee or land from a jump are where an unstable knee gives way.
Yes: your surgeon's limits on bending and weight come first, and they're often stricter, commonly no bending past 90 degrees for about 6 weeks, as our meniscus surgery guide explains. A meniscus repair also makes the knee more likely to stiffen, so tell your team promptly if the bend or straightening isn't coming back.
Keep doing the straightening exercises your physiotherapist gave you, and rest with a towel under your heel, never a pillow under your knee. If it isn't getting straight in the first weeks, tell your physiotherapist or surgical team promptly, because stiffness is easier to treat early. Don't force it in a pose.
Fear of another injury is the commonest reason people don't go back. Breathing and relaxation may help you feel calmer, but programmes aimed at fear have shown small or no effects on getting back to sport, so build confidence with your physiotherapist through graded practice.
No study has tested that. Second ACL injuries are common, about 1 in 4 in under-25s who go back to sport, and the protection comes from passing your return-to-sport tests and keeping up an injury prevention warm-up of strength, balance, jumping and landing.
Call 999 for leg pain or swelling with breathlessness or chest pain. Get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 for throbbing or cramping leg pain, a high temperature, or a knee or wound that is red, swollen, oozing or getting worse, and contact your team the same day if the knee locks.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
