Sport
Sports injuries
Strains, sprains and overuse injuries from running, the gym, tennis, golf and football.
Photograph: Pexels User, Pexels
In one paragraph
Sports injuries range from an acute sprain or muscle tear to overuse problems such as runner’s knee, tennis elbow, shin pain and Achilles tendinopathy. Sports physiotherapy treats the injury, finds the training or technique fault behind it, and rebuilds the load tolerance to return to play.
What you may notice
- 01
A pull, pop or twist during play followed by swelling or a limp.
- 02
An ache that appears at the same point in every run or session.
- 03
Elbow or shoulder pain that started after more racket time or gym volume.
- 04
Getting back to sport after a lay-off and not sure how much is safe.
The first visit
What is looked at
Diagnosis of the structure involved, grading of the injury, a look at the movement that caused it, and a plan with dates: when to load, when to run, when to return.
Treatment
What is done
Early protection and pain control, then progressive loading of the tissue, strength and control work, and a graded return-to-sport ladder; taping and manual therapy where they help.
See a doctor first if
Any injury with a deformity, an inability to bear weight, a large swelling within an hour, or a loud pop with instability needs a doctor’s assessment and possibly imaging first.
The range in question
The textbook full range for a healthy joint, the figure the assessment measures you against.
Questions
When can I play again?
When the injured tissue has healed and strength and control are back to the other side; the return is planned in steps, not guessed.
Ice or heat?
Ice for a fresh injury in the first two days; after that, movement and load matter more than either.
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