From research to rehab: Why I have brought the knee physio to Bury St. Edmunds

Introduction

I’ve had sore knees for as long as I can remember — long before I became a physiotherapist. As a teenager, I battled Osgood–Schlatter’s disease & patellofemoral pain; later, it was patellar tendinopathy, meniscal injuries, and even a patellar subluxation. When standard NHS physio failed to fix my tendinopathy, I used my sport and exercise science background to find my own solution. That experience lit a fire that’s still burning: helping people get back to what they love without giving up because of knee pain.

Finding my path through biomechanics

My journey began with a Sport & Exercise Science degree, where I quickly realised I had a natural talent for biomechanics and human performance physiology. After 100s of hours in the sports labs my dissertation explored how tendons respond to eccentric strength training — long before it became mainstream. During that time, the topic of female ACL injuries caught my attention. I can still remember the lecture room where we first discussed it; that conversation shaped my career.

My research went on to win several university awards, and was published in Medicine & Science in Sport & exercise. Although I was offered a research post, I chose to get hands-on experience and I joined the University of Cambridge Physical Education Department, working alongside strength and conditioning coaches, translating biomechanics into real-world performance and rehab. That led to a role at Cambridge Strength and Conditioning, supporting rowing and rugby teams.

From sports science to physiotherapy

My fascination with how bodies move evolved naturally into rehabilitation & injury prevention. I secured a place on the Physiotherapy programme at Manchester Metropolitan University, while continuing S&C work with their sport faculty.

Graduating in 2016, I began my journey in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, working across major NHS trusts and private clinics. My focus never wavered — it was always knees, ACLs, and the science behind recovery.

Blending Strength, Conditioning and Clinical Expertise.

My S&C background shaped how I rehabilitate. It helped me earn a role at Norwich City FC, delivering elite rehabilitation. Later, I completed a Master’s in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at the University of Birmingham, graduating with distinction. My dissertation focused on ACL reconstruction and return-to-sport outcomes.

Specialist in knees

A silly bug bear of mine is people who self-proclaim to be a specialist, while I have waited patiently to earn the role of a knee specialist through a governed trust-worth source. Today, I’m proud to be one of the few Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) in knees in the East of England. I have had a specialist interest in knees for my whole career, and I have rehabed patient to a very high standard, but my practice changed around 4 years ago when I started working work closely with Orthopaedic and Trauma consultants in a knee clinic.

The role of an Advance Practice Physiotherapist (knee) differs because I work in an orthopaedic clinic environment instead of the physio clinic. While in this capacity I request scans, list for surgery, and make specialist diagnoses. Additionally, I undertake research, lead complex cases, feature in multidisciplinary meetings with surgeons and speak at conferences. This means that my assessments and understanding of knee symptoms, conditions and surgery is unparalleled by a 'normal' physio clinic.

I have an accreditation with the Musculoskeletal Assocition of Chartered Physiotherapists (MACP) which is a specialist society for musculoskeletal physios, recognising my advanced practice skills - this puts me in just 2% of physiotherapists the entire UK. I achieved this through a rigourous placement with other MACP physiotherapists and by achieving a Distinction in my second Master's of Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy.

Why I Built The Knee Physio

I realise that my services would bring a different dimension to my local community, I often assess and treat people in the NHS that are having private physio or resorting to IG for misleading information or information.

Physiotherapists are not trained to the level you think in exercise, so I regularly see two consistent problems in rehab:

1. Rehabilitation is under-dosed. Too many people are given “safe” and ineffective programmes, or no programme at all, just random exercises.

2. Rehab is guess work blind. For a long time the excuse for guessing rehab has been, we can't afford to train as strength & conditioning and we don't have the right equipment

I built the Knee Physio : to offer data-driven, measurable rehabilitation provided by an expert in the field.

Using the latest VALD ForceDecks and Dynamo technology, we can objectively track progress and make your rehab specific, challenging, and effective.

Bringing Elite-Level Rehab to Bury St Edmunds

I chose to base the Knee Physio clinic in Bury St Edmunds, the town I love, because this community deserves world-class care close to home.

Whether you’re recovering from an ACL reconstruction, total knee replacement, or simply want to move pain-free again, my goal is simple:

✅ evidence-based treatment

✅ measurable progress

✅ a clear path back to your sport or activity.

Ready to Start Your Recovery?

Book your Specialist Knee Assessment or explore our ACL Restore, Meniscal Repair, and Total Knee Recoveryprogrammes.

Your knee deserves more than guesswork — it deserves data, experience, and a plan that works.

→ Book an Assessment

→ Learn more about our Programmes

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Dominic Richmond

Dominic Richmond is an MACP Advance Practice Physiotherapist who specialising in knee conditions & a UKSCA accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach.