Darren Cheah
Physiotherapist · Fitzroy North
Clinical interests include lower back pain, knee rehabilitation and non-operative ACL management. His gym and strength background supports exercise and return-to-activity planning.
Meet Darren CheahKNEE PAIN · ACL INJURY · REHABILITATION
Knee pain or an ACL injury?
Build towards the stairs, gym or sport you are missing.
Walking around the house can be one milestone. Getting down the stairs, lifting at the gym or changing direction on the field asks something different of your knee.
Premier connects knee assessment and suitable hands-on treatment with a written rehabilitation plan. We work from your current symptoms and recovery stage towards the activities you want back, with documented reviews to guide progression.
Book a knee assessmentBook Physiotherapy · New Patient if new to Premier. Need help choosing? Call 03 9481 7794.
Brunswick · Fitzroy North · Thornbury
40,000patients served
20 yearsin the community
30 expertsacross Premier
One teambehind your care
START WITH YOUR KNEE TODAY
A new twist, a recurring ache and surgery recovery need different plans.
Tell us how the problem started, what swells or feels unstable, which movements are difficult and what advice you have already received. We assess relevant movement, strength and task demands.
The findings guide suitable treatment and the starting plan. A significant acute injury or concerning symptoms may need medical assessment first; an established surgical plan needs its restrictions respected.
MAKE THE EXERCISES MEAN SOMETHING
Know why the next exercise belongs in your plan.
Selected exercises should connect to a clear goal: controlling a step, tolerating a work task, rebuilding strength or preparing for the demands of running and sport.
Your written plan explains the starting work and the response to follow. Suitable hands-on care can support comfort and movement. Strength and conditioning is progressed around your recovery; Clinical Pilates is included when clinically required.
ACL CARE FOR YOUR PATHWAY
Bring the surgical plan—or the questions about managing without surgery.
ACL stands for anterior cruciate ligament, one of the ligaments inside the knee. After ACL reconstruction, bring your surgical report, restrictions and any advice from your treating team. Rehabilitation should be adapted to the operation, associated injuries and your recovery stage.
If you are exploring non-operative ACL management, we can assess function and rehabilitation needs alongside medical advice. Darren Cheah’s public profile lists non-operative ACL management among his clinical interests. Choosing surgery or rehabilitation alone needs an individual decision with the appropriate treating team.
YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
Bring your questions. Leave with a starting plan.
Bring existing reports, surgery details, specialist restrictions and your current rehabilitation exercises. Tell us what you want to manage next. Your physiotherapist explains the findings, begins suitable treatment with your consent and agrees the written plan and review point.
Your takeaways
- An explanation of your current knee findings
- Suitable treatment discussed and started when appropriate
- A written starting rehabilitation plan
- A review point linked to your next activity goal
BUILD TOWARDS THE TASK
Walking comfortably is a start. Your sport may ask more.
The next stage may involve building capacity for running, landing, decelerating or changing direction when those tasks fit your diagnosis, stage and goal. Exercise selection and progression are individual.
Reviews consider relevant symptoms, movement, strength, task performance and your confidence. We document what has changed and what still needs work. A calendar date alone is not a return-to-sport decision.
WHEN YOU HOLD BACK
Tell us if you still do not trust the knee.
You may manage the exercises yet hesitate on a stair or in a sporting movement. That hesitation belongs in the review, alongside the physical findings and the demands of the task.
We discuss the next graded steps and any further assessment needed. The aim is a plan you understand and can follow, without a promise that any test or program eliminates reinjury risk.
PEOPLE AND PRACTICAL DETAILS
Choose relevant knee and rehabilitation experience.
Lilly Winters
Physiotherapist · Brunswick
Listed clinical interests include ACL and knee rehabilitation, running injuries and Clinical Pilates. Rehabilitation connects movement and strength with the activity you want to return to.
Meet Lilly Winters
Matt Taylor
Physiotherapist · Brunswick
Works with chronic lower back pain, knee ligament injuries and sporting rehabilitation, using hands-on care and progressive exercise selected around the patient’s goals.
Meet Matt Taylor
Luther Chiew
Physiotherapist · Thornbury
Clinical interests include knee, ankle, sports and overuse injuries. His strength and conditioning background informs hands-on care, exercise rehabilitation and return-to-activity planning.
Meet Luther ChiewReception can confirm the appropriate practitioner, appointment and current availability.
Also in Brunswick, James Parry works with knee pain and running-related injuries. Reception can help match your presentation and preferred clinic with an appropriate appointment.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BOOK
Answers for the next decision.
Can you help after ACL reconstruction?
Premier provides knee rehabilitation. Bring the surgical report, associated-injury details and restrictions. Your clinician uses those alongside the examination and goals to plan appropriate progression.
Do you support ACL management without surgery?
Darren Cheah lists non-operative ACL management as a clinical interest. An individual assessment and appropriate medical advice are needed to decide whether that pathway fits your injury and goals.
When can I return to running or sport?
That depends on the injury, any surgery, recovery, activity demands and required clearance. We review relevant physical findings, task capacity and confidence rather than promise a return date from this page.
Will I receive hands-on treatment?
Suitable hands-on care can begin with your consent when it supports the findings and plan. It is adapted to your knee, comfort and any injury or surgical restrictions.
What if I have knee osteoarthritis or tendon pain?
Those presentations can need different decisions from ACL rehabilitation. Tell us the diagnosis and symptom pattern. Our osteoarthritis guide and patellar tendon pain pathway explain those different presentations.
When should I seek medical care first?
Seek urgent medical care after a major injury, with a deformed or severely swollen knee, a red hot knee with fever, or severe symptoms. Inability to bear weight or a locked knee also needs prompt medical assessment.
YOUR NEXT APPOINTMENT
Make the next step part of a plan you understand.
Book a knee assessment. Tell us whether you are managing new pain, an ACL injury, surgery recovery or a return to sport, so we can match the appointment to your stage.
Choose Physiotherapy, your preferred clinic and a New Patient appointment if you are new to Premier. Tell reception about ACL injury, recent surgery or specialist restrictions before booking if you need help matching a practitioner.
Book a knee assessmentCurrent fees and appointment types are confirmed by reception. Check private health cover for the chosen practitioner and service with your insurer.
LOCAL CARE
Find your clinic.
Brunswick
2/200 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056
Fitzroy North
373–375 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Thornbury
680 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
RELATED CARE
Follow the question that fits your situation.
- Patellar tendon pain and jumper’s knee
- Knee and hip osteoarthritis
- Running Injury Clinic
- Sports injury care
- Physiotherapy at Premier
When medical care comes first: Major injury, deformity, severe swelling, a red hot knee with fever, inability to bear weight, a locked knee or other medically concerning symptoms need prompt medical assessment. Call 000 in an emergency.
Clinical information sources
Aspetar: ACL reconstruction rehabilitation guideline · AAOS: ACL injury plain-language summary
Prepared 18 October 2026. General information supports an individual assessment.