Sports Injuries: what it is and how we help

Sports injuries at a glance

Sports injuries range from sudden injuries, such as ankle sprains and hamstring tears, to overuse problems that build gradually, such as runner's knee, Achilles tendinopathy and shin splints. Most do not need surgery. The key to returning quickly, and not getting injured again, is a structured rehabilitation plan that restores strength and load tolerance, not just rest until the pain goes.

Common sports injuries we see

• Ankle and knee sprains
• Hamstring, calf and groin strains
• Achilles and patellar tendinopathy
• Runner's knee and iliotibial band pain
• Shin splints and plantar heel pain
• Shoulder and rotator cuff injuries in racket and overhead sports
• Back pain in golfers, rowers and gym users

What causes sports injuries?

Sudden injuries come from a twist, collision or fall. Overuse injuries usually follow a jump in training volume or intensity, poor recovery, inadequate strength or a change in footwear or surface.

How are sports injuries treated?

In the first few days, protect the injury and use pain-guided movement. After that, rehabilitation gradually reloads the tissue, restores strength, balance and speed, and finishes with sport-specific training before a full return.

How we help with sports injuries in Chiswick

• Physiotherapy: diagnosis, gait analysis and staged rehabilitation back to sport.
• Sports massage and manual therapy: recovery, muscle tension and mobility.
• Red light therapy: the NovoTHOR full-body bed used in elite sport for recovery, plus THOR laser for tendon and muscle injuries.
• Pixformance: guided strength training with real-time form correction.
• InBody: checks muscle symmetry between limbs during rehabilitation.

What does the evidence say?

Progressive loading exercise is the most effective treatment for tendon problems and for reducing re-injury after muscle strains. Photobiomodulation has growing evidence for muscle recovery and some tendon conditions.

How long do sports injuries take to heal?

It depends on the tissue. Mild muscle strains often recover in one to three weeks, ankle sprains in two to six weeks, and tendon problems over two to three months or longer. Ligament reconstructions take nine months or more. Being pain-free is not enough on its own: strength, balance and sport-specific movement should be back to normal to reduce the risk of re-injury. For more detail, see soft tissue injury healing times and our guide to a torn ACL.

Ice or heat for a sports injury?

For a fresh injury with swelling, ice for 15 to 20 minutes every few hours can ease pain in the first two to three days. Heat is better for stiffness and muscle tightness once the early swelling has settled. Neither is essential; gentle, pain-guided movement matters more for healing.

When is it safe to return to sport?

• You can move the injured area fully without pain
• Strength is close to that of the uninjured side
• You can hop, jump, sprint or change direction without symptoms, as your sport demands
• You have completed full training sessions before returning to matches or races

What to expect at Omnia

Your physiotherapist asks how the injury happened and what your sport demands, then assesses the injured area, your movement and, where relevant, your running gait. You receive a staged plan from early recovery to full return, with clear milestones. Sports massage, red light therapy and guided strength training support each stage, and an InBody scan can show whether muscle has returned to the injured limb. Our sports physiotherapy in London starts with a 70-minute first appointment for £99 with an HCPC-registered physiotherapist.

What you can do at home

• Increase training by no more than about 10 percent a week
• Include strength training twice a week
• Prioritise sleep and recovery days
• Read what a sports massage involves and our plantar fasciitis exercises

See our guides to when to worry about a sprained ankle, how to treat tennis elbow and deep tissue or sports massage.

Sports injury treatment is available at Omnia Lifestyle, 8 to 9 Bedford Corner, Chiswick W4, two minutes from Turnham Green. Book online or call 020 4515 0000.