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Knee instability physiotherapy London

If you’re looking for knee instability physiotherapy, and need a therapist who is thorough and thinks outside the traditional physiotherapy box, then look no further!

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Just call my London team on
0207 175 0150 or use the form below and let me help you get better.

Just call my London team on 0207 175 0150 or use the form here.
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Knee instability physiotherapy

If you are suffering from instability in the knee, it can be a painful and a scary problem – we expect to be able to trust our knees to keep us upright and not to collapse unexpectedly at any given moment!

The three systems that have to work in harmony to keep your knee stable are:

  • the shape of the bones – they need to be able to slot together properly, femur sitting on top of tibia, with everything intact
  • the integrity of the ligaments and capsule, the tough, relatively passive soft tissue structures that attach bone to bone. Key ligaments that keep your knee from collapsing are the cruciate ligaments and the medial collateral ligament.
  • the neuromuscular control – your brain and nervous system need to tell your muscles to activate at the appropriate moments, and your muscles need to be strong enough to respond effectively

If one or more of these systems is compromised – by trauma, such as a rugby, football, skiing or road accident; or by chronic pain or a spinal cord injury, you could develop an unstable knee.

What to expect from a knee instability physio assessment

The first thing we need to understand when you come in for an assessment is why your knee is unstable.  Has there been a traumatic structural injury such as an ACL tear or a fracture, or do you have chronic muscular weakness stemming from pain or from a nerve injury?  Can we get the muscles to work well enough to stabilise your knee adequately for you to be able to do the tasks and activities  that you want to be able to do, or is there simply too much damage?

We need to understand whether your instability is due to bone shape, ligamentous integrity, or muscular control.  This may involve imaging such as X-ray or MRI as well as a clinical assessment; and we may need to talk to other specialists such as an orthopaedic knee surgeon, a radiologist, a neurologist, a sports doctor or a rheumatologist.

Knee instability treatment London

Physiotherapy for knee instability will focus on retraining the muscle and movement patterns that allow you to trust that your knee will hold you upright without giving way underneath you. We are likely to work on the muscles that attach to the bones of the knee directly – the calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and adductors.  We are also likely to work on the muscles which don’t have a direct attachment to the knee area but which are nonetheless vital to maintain normal alignment and control of the femur and tibia, such as gluteus medius and tibialis posterior.  It’s hard for your quads and hamstrings to work optimally when your hip is stiff, or when the arches of your feet are collapsing at every step!

However, if the passive systems (bone, cartilage and ligament) are significantly damaged, then we may also need to involve some of the other profesionals.  Teamwork is key to success if you’re to make the best possible recovery – and don’t forget that the most important member of your team is you!

Knee instability physio assessments are 90 minutes

Follow-up sessions if required are usually an hour – it’s important to me to be very thorough when it comes to Knee instability physiotherapy, as I want to be the last knee physiotherapist you need.

Nell Mead Physiotherapy YouTube Channel

Where i share my logical and simple formula to help you improve your own body. See all my knee instability physiotherapy related videos.
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Knee pain specialist physio - Client reviews

"The best physio in town! Nell has been helping with the rehabilitation of an aspiring tennis player following major knee reconstruction and cartilage graft and the results so far have been impressive. Always available for help, advice and those healing hands, Nell is hugely recommended. She has also helped two other members of the family with other issues, all with equal great success. Thanks Nell ;)"
Charlie Carrick
"Attempting to play tennis for 24 consecutive hours is no easy task. Especially with an arthritic knee and a replaced hip! But Nell and her team took care of all of my needs, and made sure that I was still walking (and functioning) at its conclusion. Great knowledge, and a real passion for their work. I would definitely recommend Nell...."
Bright Ideas for Tennis Charity
"I visited Nell recently, having met her a few weeks earlier and describing to her a long-running problem I'd had with my knee. Where others had failed to identify the cause or the cure, her Holmes-like investigative questions and observations soon isolated the cause of the problem (oddly enough a decades-old collarbone break) and she was able to treat it. Remarkable results and I couldn't recommend 'the best physio in London' highly enough. Thank you Nell "
Martin Gladdish

Knee Instability London

At my London physio clinic I see patients with a variety of knee issues including

  • Sprains and strains
  • Runner’s knee
  • Hyperextension
  • Arthritis
  • Knee replacement

Learn more about the following knee physiotherapy I provide

Knee instability blog

As a leading knee instability physiotherapist in London, I regularly write about injuries, treatment and assessment techniques.

Nell Mead Physiotherapist
Nell Mead Physiotherapist
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Matthew BeckfordMatthew Beckford
10:32 19 Nov 23
I call Nell the final boss of Physios! When I first began seeing here I had a wide variety of problems and pain. She is reassuring, will try out innovative and new ways of treating you and is determined to find the underlying problems which need addressing.
Sarah PembertonSarah Pemberton
13:43 06 Nov 23
Nell is fantastic. I was referred to her by a shoulder surgeon because I'd had serious impingement for several years and other things (e.g. steroid injections) had not helped. At the first appointment I was unable to lift my left arm above chin height. Nell traced the cause to asymmetry from a broken collarbone 16 years earlier. She got the shoulder moving again and I am now rock climbing harder than I was before I got injured. Her combination of manual therapy in clinic and giving me exercises to do at home has proved very effective. Every few months I get some other injury (e.g. broken hand from a fall) and she helps me to promptly rehab it. I've seen a bunch of physios over my lifetime but Nell is without any doubt the best!
Kirsty ClarkeKirsty Clarke
11:13 26 Oct 23
Game changer. Nell seems to have fixed a 10-year problem (plantar fasciitis) in one or two sessions and now we’re seeing what else she can help me improve! As well as being exceptional at what she does, Nell is clearly very passionate about continually learning and is absolutely delightful company too. Worth every penny - best physio I’ve ever seen by some distance, and I’ve seen a lot!
Jane KellyJane Kelly
18:21 04 Aug 23
Nell has an eye for detail and is good at solving complex problems. She is extremely knowledgable, professional and very kind.
Ben TurnerBen Turner
10:54 05 Jul 23
Nell is easily the best physio I’ve ever seen. Having had many disappointing physio sessions over the years, Nell made me feel confident that we really had got to bottom of my knee issue. Not only did she examine my knee, but all of my potential problem areas with instantaneous results. She just gets it, and she’s a lovely person too.
Howard BranleyHoward Branley
17:59 04 May 23
As a medical professional with a running injury, I knew that there was only one person that I needed to see. Nell’s approach was holistic and focussed on finding the source of the issue rather than just trying to treat a symptom in isolation. Nell’s approach was calm, professional and caring. She followed up the consultation with a number of exercises to do. Her treatment plan worked like a dream and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her to anyone who’s struggling with an injury, pain or stiffness. First class from start to finish.
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Symptoms can manifest anywhere in the body

If your symptoms are just in one part of your body, click the appropriate body area below for more information on specific assessments and treatment plans. Alternatively, if your issues aren’t localised to one area, or aren’t related to pain, then click here to see how I can help you with a wide range of physiotherapy services from a qualified physiotherapist in London.

Neck
Assessment & treatment
Shoulder
Assessment & treatment
Back
Assessment & treatment
Hip
Assessment & treatment
Knee
Assessment & treatment
Feet & Ankle
Assessment & treatment

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