Assess
A detailed history and a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave knowing what is wrong, why it happened and exactly what we are going to do about it.
Concern
Knee Pain, Runner’s Knee and ACL Rehabilitation in London
From runner’s knee and patellofemoral pain through to ACL reconstruction rehabilitation, knee problems almost always come back to load and capacity. Rebuilding the strength around the joint is what resolves them, and it is the stage most people cut short.
Overview
Understanding knee pain
Knee pain covers several distinct presentations, and the assessment matters because they need different plans.
Patellofemoral pain, often called runner’s knee, produces pain around or behind the kneecap, typically worse on stairs, squatting or after prolonged sitting. It is usually a load-capacity problem rather than a structural one, and it responds well to progressive hip and quadriceps strengthening alongside sensible adjustments to training volume.
Ligament injuries, particularly of the anterior cruciate ligament, need a structured, long rehabilitation whether or not surgery is involved. Restoring strength and neuromuscular control to match the uninjured side is what determines the outcome, and objective measurement is genuinely valuable here.
Osteoarthritic knee pain is common from middle age onwards and responds to exercise as core treatment under NICE guidance. Assessment separates these, then treatment runs through physiotherapy and progressive rehabilitation, with VALD testing available where return-to-sport decisions are involved.
Excellent
From 4 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
I saw Amanda for a problem I've been having with a painful shoulder. She explained to me what the problem was, did a thorough treatment session and gave me some exercises to do to improve it. Very professional and friendly, I highly recommend her.
I first visited Amanda following a maisonneuve fracture. That day I walked 107 steps in a camboot with two crutches. I have visited weekly. Yesterday I walked 13,315 steps (no crutches, no boot). The transformation is truly amazing.
I booked with Michelle for my first appointment. When I stood up I said to her it feels like heaven as my continuous back pain had totally gone. I was totally pain free for 7 hours so bless you Michelle.
Excellent treatment of my lower back and related sciatica injuries from CrossFit. Definitely my go-to therapist when in dire need of pain relief.
Physiotherapy for knee pain can help you to:
Work out what is actually causing it
Patellofemoral pain, meniscal injury, ligament damage and osteoarthritis can all present as a sore knee. Assessment separates them, which matters because the plans differ substantially.
Keep running while you fix it
Complete rest usually makes things worse by lowering the capacity you need to rebuild. We adjust volume, surface and frequency so you keep running at a level the knee tolerates while strength comes back.
Rebuild strength through the hip and quadriceps
Most knee pain is a load-capacity problem. Progressive strengthening through the quadriceps, hip and glutes addresses the cause rather than the symptom, and it is the part that stops it coming back.
Return to sport after a ligament injury with evidence
Returning before strength matches the uninjured side carries a real re-injury risk. Objective testing gives a measured answer to the readiness question instead of relying on how the last session felt.
Manage arthritic knee pain well
Exercise is core treatment for knee osteoarthritis under NICE guidance, not an optional extra. A programme matched to your ability typically does more for symptoms and function than anything passive.
Why it happens
What causes knee pain?
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A rapid increase in running volume, intensity or hill work outpacing current capacity
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Weakness through the quadriceps and gluteal muscles, altering how the kneecap tracks and loads
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Ligament injury, most commonly to the anterior cruciate ligament, from a twisting or pivoting mechanism
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Meniscal injury from a twisting load, or age-related meniscal change
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Osteoarthritis of the knee joint, increasingly common from middle age
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Prolonged sitting with the knee bent, a classic aggravator of patellofemoral pain
What happens at your first appointment?
Your first visit is a full 60-minute assessment: a detailed history, then testing of how you move, how strong you are and what the painful area is actually doing. We explain the working diagnosis in plain English and agree a plan with you before any treatment starts.
You leave with a written summary and a home programme, emailed the same day and loaded into the Move Health app so the technique stays right between visits.
The starting point for better health. Our clinics work together to take you from injury, through recovery and performance, to the kind of health that holds up for decades. One team, one plan, one record of where you started.
- Two London clinics: inside UNTIL at 280 Bishopsgate by Liverpool Street, and in Canary Wharf.
- Led by Amanda Yardley, an HCPC-registered, CSP-chartered physiotherapist with 15 years in the profession.
- Objective VALD strength and asymmetry testing, so progress is measured rather than guessed at.
Fees and booking
You can refer yourself, with no GP letter needed, and book online in a couple of minutes at whichever clinic is easier to reach.
- Initial consultation: £120 for 60 minutes, including assessment and treatment plan
- Follow-up: £95 for 60 minutes, or £75 for 30 minutes
- Sports massage: £85 for 60 minutes, or £55 for 30 minutes
- Self-referral: book directly, no GP referral required
- Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm, at both London clinics
- A written plan and a home programme emailed the same day, every time
From injury to longevity
the Origin Health journey
Most people arrive with something that hurts. What happens after that is the part most clinics leave to chance. We treat the problem, rebuild the capacity you lost, then keep you strong enough that it stays fixed.
Treat
Hands-on manual therapy chosen for your presentation, with Western medical acupuncture or soft-tissue work added where they help. Treatment is not the goal in itself: it opens the window to move and load properly.
Rebuild
Progressive, coached exercise rehabilitation restores the strength and load tolerance you lost, with full gym facilities at both clinics. This is the stage that decides whether the fix lasts.
Stay well
Each follow-up measures you against your own baseline. We discharge you when you have the strength and the tools to manage alone, with clinical Pilates, sports massage and golf screening on hand to keep you there.
What we treat
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy for back, neck, shoulder and joint pain
- Progressive exercise rehabilitation, with full gym facilities at both clinics
- Sports and deep tissue massage for recovery and ongoing maintenance
- Western medical acupuncture within the AACP framework
- Post-operative and sports-injury rehabilitation
- Post-natal and paediatric musculoskeletal physiotherapy
- VALD strength and asymmetry testing for objective, tracked progress
- TPI golf physiotherapy movement screening with Amanda
Treatment approach
How do we treat knee pain?
Physiotherapy
£120Assessment separates patellofemoral pain, ligament and meniscal injury, and osteoarthritis, which look similar to a patient but need very different management.
See treatment detail →Exercise Rehabilitation
From £75Progressive strengthening of the quadriceps, hip and gluteal muscles is the core treatment across almost every knee presentation, and it is what determines whether the result lasts.
See treatment detail →VALD Strength Testing
Price on enquiryObjective measurement of side-to-side strength difference is particularly valuable after ligament injury, where returning on feel alone carries a real re-injury risk.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
What is runner’s knee?
Runner’s knee usually refers to patellofemoral pain: pain around or behind the kneecap, worse on stairs, squatting or after sitting for long periods. It is generally a load-capacity problem rather than structural damage, and it responds well to progressive strengthening.
Can I still run with knee pain?
Often yes, at a reduced volume. Complete rest tends to be counterproductive, because it lowers the capacity you need to rebuild. We usually adjust distance, surface and frequency rather than stopping altogether, then progress as strength improves.
How long does ACL rehabilitation take?
Typically nine to twelve months before return to pivoting sport, whether or not you have surgery. Returning earlier than nine months is associated with a substantially higher re-injury rate, so we base progression on measured strength and function rather than on the calendar.
Do I need a scan for knee pain?
Often not. Patellofemoral pain and early osteoarthritis are diagnosed clinically, and scans frequently show meniscal or cartilage changes that are common in people without symptoms. We refer for imaging where there is a suspected ligament rupture, locking, or a failure to progress.
Related Concerns
Get Started
Book a physiotherapy appointment
in the City or Canary Wharf.
Origin Health • 280 Bishopsgate, Liverpool Street, London EC2M 4RB
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