Having a total knee replacement is a major operation — but the surgery itself is only one part of your recovery.

Once you’re home, you may be given exercises to complete and encouraged to keep walking. But as the weeks pass, many people reach a point where they start asking:

“What should I be doing now?”

“How do I know if I’m doing too much?”

“When should I stop using my crutches or sticks?”

“How do I get my strength back?”

“When will I feel confident using my knee again?”

This is where structured rehabilitation can make a real difference.

Recovery is about more than getting your knee moving

After a total knee replacement, it is natural to focus on your knee movement — particularly bending and straightening.

But successful rehabilitation involves much more than range of movement.

You also need to rebuild:

• Strength

• Balance

• Walking ability

• Endurance

• Confidence

• Functional movement

And ultimately, you want your new knee to allow you to get back to your normal life.

That might mean walking the dog, getting back into the garden, managing stairs, going shopping, returning to golf or simply being able to enjoy a longer walk without worrying about your knee.

Why we’ve created our Knee Recovery Programme

At CC Physio, we’ve created a new 6-week Knee Recovery Programme specifically for people recovering from a total knee replacement.

It is designed to bridge the gap between your early post-operative rehabilitation and getting back to normal everyday activity.

The programme is:

Small

There are a maximum of 6 people in each group.

This allows the physiotherapist to observe how you’re moving, provide individual feedback and adapt exercises according to your ability.

Physiotherapist-led

This isn’t simply a room full of people following an exercise sheet.

A physiotherapist leads every session and makes decisions about how exercises should be progressed or modified.

Individualised

Although you’re exercising as part of a group, your rehabilitation isn’t identical to everyone else’s.

We’ll consider your current ability, your symptoms, your strength and, importantly, what you want to achieve.

Your rehabilitation starts with a 1:1 assessment

Before joining the group, you’ll have a 30-minute physiotherapy assessment costing £42.

Your assessment is the first step in understanding YOUR recovery, what you want to get back to doing and what will help you move towards it.

We’ll assess your current movement and function, take baseline measurements and make sure that you’re ready to participate safely in a small-group rehabilitation environment.

This is your opportunity to understand where you are in your recovery, what you want to get back to doing and what you need to work on to help you get there.

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of your recovery, what you’re working towards and what your next step should be.

Whether the group is the right next step for you or you would benefit from some additional 1:1 support first, you’ll have a clearer plan for moving forward.

That’s the value of the assessment – clarity about YOUR recovery and what comes next.

What will we work on?

Across the six weeks, sessions will include a combination of:

Knee mobility

We’ll continue working on knee flexion and extension, helping you make the most of the movement you’ve regained following surgery.

Strength

We’ll progressively rebuild the strength of your quadriceps, glutes, calves and other muscles that contribute to good lower-limb function.

Walking

We’ll look at your walking pattern, confidence and use of your walking aid, progressing appropriately as your strength and control improve.

Balance

Good balance is important for confidence and everyday mobility. We’ll progressively challenge your balance in a safe and controlled way.

Functional rehabilitation

Rehabilitation needs to transfer into real life.

We’ll work on things such as:

• Getting up from a chair

• Stairs

• Turning and changing direction

• Stepping

• Walking

• Carrying out everyday activities

Your goal matters

One of the most important parts of the programme is identifying what you want to get back to doing.

For one person, that might be walking the dog.

For someone else, it might be returning to golf.

Another person might simply want to be able to go shopping without worrying about their knee.

Your goal helps us decide where your rehabilitation needs to take you.

What happens after the six weeks?

The aim isn’t to keep you in rehabilitation forever.

As you progress, we’ll help you understand how to continue exercising independently and what you should work on next.

For some people, that may mean continuing with another 6 weeks of the class and/or their own exercise programme at home.

For others, it may be returning to activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, gym-based strength training or an appropriate physio-led exercise class.

The important thing is that your rehabilitation continues beyond simply getting through the first few weeks after surgery.

Who is the programme for?

Initially, our programme is specifically for people who have undergone a primary total knee replacement and are ready for early-to-mid stage rehabilitation.

You will need to be:

• Medically stable

• Mobilising safely with elbow crutches or sticks

• Able to achieve at least 90° of active knee flexion

• Reasonably comfortable with your pain

• Suitable to participate safely in a small group

Everyone must complete the initial 1:1 assessment before joining.

If you’re not yet ready for the group, that doesn’t mean we can’t help you. We will book you in for some individual physiotherapy first and then reassess you when you’re ready.

Ready to move beyond your knee replacement?

Your operation may have replaced your knee.

Your rehabilitation is what helps you make the most of it.

Our introductory launch price for the 6-week programme is £120.

Initial 30-minute 1:1 assessment: £42

With only 6 places available in each group, we’re keeping the programme deliberately small so that every patient receives individual attention and progression.

If you’ve had a total knee replacement and would like to find out whether our Knee Recovery Programme is right for you, contact us or book your “Knee Replacement Initial Appointment” at West Allotment.

Your new knee is only the beginning.