As an athlete or fitness enthusiast in Guildford, you’ve likely experienced an injury that disrupts your exercise, training or competition routine. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, understanding common sports injuries and effective recovery strategies is crucial to getting back to the sport and exercise that you love. At our high performance sports injury clinic in Guildford, we specialise in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries, helping you to heal and recover faster, and perform better. From sprains and strains to more severe issues like fractures or dislocations – including post-operative recovery – our highly skilled team of sports therapists know the right recovery techniques, including the use of sports massage in Guildford, can make all the difference in a successful return to play.
In part 2 of this 2 part blog post, we’ll explore the top 10 most common sports injuries that athletes and fitness enthusiasts in Guildford face, and provide expert advice on how to recover from them. You’ll learn about the causes and symptoms of each injury, as well as the best treatments available from the sports therapy team at our sports injury clinic in Guildford. We’ll also discuss how sports massage in Guildford can aid in recovery, reduce pain and maintain performance levels throughout the year. Whether you’re dealing with a nagging injury or looking for preventative measures, this guide will hopefully help you in understanding these top 10 most common sports injuries.
Stay tuned as we delve into the top 10 most common sports injuries, offering practical tips and professional insights to ensure that you can enjoy your sport and exercise with minimal downtime. By understanding and addressing these top 10 most common sports injuries, you’ll be better equipped to maintain your sport and exercise goals.
In this part two, we are looking at numbers 5-1, which are:
5: Hamstring Strain
4: Tennis Elbow
3: Lateral Ankle Sprain
2: Shoulder Impingement
1: Runner’s Knee
5: Hamstring Strain
What is a Hamstring Strain?
A hamstring strain is a tear to one or more of the hamstring muscles, the group of muscles in the back of your thigh that are responsible for bending the knee and extending the hip. It is a common injury within athletes who participate in sports that require sprinting movements such as football, rugby and athletics. Symptoms of a hamstring strain include sudden sharp pain in the back of the thigh, inflammation and bruising, as well as difficulty straightening the knee or bearing load on that limb. The severity of the strain can vary from a few fibres torn to a complete rupture of the hamstring.
How to Recover from a Hamstring Strain
Recovering from a hamstring strain involves rest, rehabilitation and a gradual return to exercise. Initially, it is important to stop any activity that causes pain/discomfort. As the acute pain subsides, a structured sports rehabilitation programme is essential to restore mobility and strength in the hamstring muscles. At seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford, we are here to assess and diagnose your hamstring injury, treat it accordingly with soft tissue modalities such as massage, as well as formulating a comprehensive and graduated rehabilitation programme. Eccentric loading exercises, which involved lengthening the muscle under tension, are particularly important for hamstring function as these are positions where the hamstrings are most vulnerable to damage. Incorporating sports massage from our sports massage clinic in Guildford into your recovery and rehabilitation can further enhance the healing process by improving blood and inflammatory flow, and reducing muscle spasm.
How Can We Help?
At seventy9 Sports Therapy, our sports injury clinic in Guildford, we offer expert care for the management of hamstring strains. Our experienced sports therapists will assess the severity of your hamstring strain and create a personalised and graduated treatment and rehabilitation programme tailored to your needs. We provide targeted exercises, soft tissue therapy including sports massage, and guidance on safe return to sport and exercise. Additionally, our sports massage in Guildford can play a crucial role in your recovery, helping to alleviate pain and improve muscle function. Trust our sports injury clinic in Guildford to support your full recovery from a hamstring strain.
Are you suffering with a hamstring strain? Concerned about some hamstring weakness that’s effecting your sport and exercise? Email us to see how we can help you return to 100% again!
4: Tennis Elbow
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow – or lateral epicondylitis – is a condition caused by overuse of the wrist extensor muscles and the proximal tendon attaching them to the elbow, leading to pain and inflammation of the tendon at the outer part of the elbow. Despite its name, tennis elbow isn’t limited to tennis players. It is an injury type that can affect anyone who engages in repetitive arm and wrist movements such as painters, electricians and desk workers. Symptoms can include pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow, weakened grip strength and discomfort when lifting or bending the arm.
How to Recover from Tennis Elbow
Recovering from tennis elbow requires a combination of rest from aggravating activities where possible, physical therapy such as the work we undertake at seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford, as well as a good rehabilitation programme. Initially, reducing or avoiding activities that aggravate the elbow is key to allow the tendon to heal and reduce inflammation. Applying ice to the area and using topical anti-inflammatory medications could be used to help reduce inflammation of the tendon and pain. A good sports therapy intervention from our experienced sports therapists in Guildford is crucial for strengthening the forearm muscles and improving load and movement capacity to prevent future occurrences of tennis elbow. A good rehabilitation programme should target the affected muscles and tendons as well as other areas that may have an impact on the tennis elbow symptoms such as the shoulder. Additionally at seventy9 Sports Therapy, our sports massage in Guildford can be highly beneficial in relieving muscle tension and enhancing blood flow to the injured area which can help in the healing process.
How Can We Help?
At our sports injury clinic in Guildford, we offer expert treatment for tennis elbow. Our experienced sports therapists will assess your injury and develop a personalised treatment and rehabilitation programme, including exercises to restore strength and function. We also provide sports massage in Guildford to alleviate muscle tightness. Whether you’re an athlete or dealing with repetitive strain from work, our sports injury clinic in Guildford offers the care and expertise needed to help you recover fully and prevent future injuries.
Why not visit our sports injury clinic in Guildford for expert care and support in overcoming your tennis elbow? Our online booking system is easy to use, or just drop us an email to find out how we can help you return to full fitness!
3: Lateral Ankle Sprain
What is a Lateral Ankle Sprain?
A lateral ankle sprain occurs when the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle are torn, usually due to a sudden twisting or “rolling” of the ankle. Whilst we use “sprain” to describe this injury, it occurs due to a tear in the ligament which would then be graded in severity by one of our experienced sports therapists at seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford. Lateral ankle sprains are common in sports that involve rapid changes in direction, such as football, basketball and rugby. Symptoms of a lateral ankle sprain can include inflammation, bruising, pain on the outer side of the ankle, and difficulty or pain walking or weight bearing. In most cases of lateral ankle sprain there is a loss of stability in the joint.
How to Recover from a Lateral Ankle Sprain
Recovery from a lateral ankle sprain involves a combination of rest, rehabilitation and gradual return to sport and exercise. In the first 24-48 hours, you could apply ice to the area, outside of that window we may shift this to a hot/cold protocol to help flush inflammation around the ankle. Elevation is also useful to manage inflammatory flow. It is important to manage weight bearing whilst also maintaining good walking gait, pain dependent. Our sports injury experts in Guildford may suggest the use of crutches initially to partial or even non-weight bear, depending on the severity of the sprain and your functional level. Sports therapy at seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford plays a crucial role in recovery from a lateral ankle sprain, focusing on diagnosis of the extent of the injury, strengthening the muscles and systems supporting the ankle, improving balance under increasing load, and restoration of range of movement. Sports massage in Guildford at seventy9 Sports Therapy can help to support the rehabilitation process by reducing muscle tension and enhancing the flow of inflammation around the ankle.
How Can We Help?
At our sports injury clinic in Guildford, we offer expert care for lateral ankle sprains. Our experienced sports therapists will assess the severity of your lateral ankle sprain and design a personalised treatment and rehabilitation programme to restore you to full function, including a safe and graduated return to sport and exercise. At seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford we provide targeted rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the ankle and prevent future injuries. Additionally, our sports massage in Guildford can help reduce muscle tension and enhance the flow of inflammation around the ankle. Trust our sports injury clinic in Guildford to guide you through a full and effective recovery from a lateral ankle sprain.
Have you sprained your ankle? Look no further than our team of dedicated sports injury specialists as your one stop shop for a full return to fitness! Email us today!
2: Shoulder Impingement
What is a Shoulder Impingement?
Shoulder impingement occurs when the tendons or bursa in the shoulder are compressed or pinched between the bones of the shoulder joint. This can lead to inflammation, pain and restricted movement, especially during overhead activities such as throwing or lifting overhead. Athletes involved in swimming, tennis and weightlifting, as well as collision sport athletes such as rugby and ice hockey, are prone to shoulder impingement. Symptoms of shoulder impingement include pain when lifting the arm, weakness in the shoulder and difficulty reaching behind the back.
How to Recover from a Shoulder Impingement
Recovery from a shoulder impingement involves a combination of rest from aggravating activities, sports therapy under the guidance of our experienced sports therapists at seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford, and in some cases some lifestyle modifications. Initially, it’s important to avoid activities that aggravate the shoulder and allow time for inflammation to reduce. Applying ice and topical anti-inflammatory medication can help to manage the inflammatory pain. Sports therapy plays a crucial role in recovery, focusing on strengthening muscles around the shoulder girdle to decrease the compression on the tendon/bursa structures affected and improving function in the ranges of movement where pain is felt. Additionally, sports massage in Guildford can be effective in reducing muscle tension, supporting the strength training programme.
How Can We Help?
At our sports injury clinic in Guildford, we specialise in assessing, diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating all shoulder injuries, including shoulder impingement, with a comprehensive approach tailored to each individual patient’s needs. Our experienced sports therapists will conduct a thorough assessment of your shoulder and develop a personalised rehabilitation programme for you. This will include targeted exercises, soft tissue therapy such as sports massage, and guidance on lifestyle changes to help support your injury recovery. We also offer sports massage in Guildford as part of our treatment plan, which can help relieve tension, reduce pain and improve function. Trust our sports injury clinic in Guildford to help you regain full mobility, strength and function in your shoulder post a shoulder impingement.
Don’t let your shoulder impingement continue to restrict you, our team at seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford are here to help! Book an appointment or drop us an email today!
1: Runner’s Knee
What is Runner’s Knee?
Runner’s knee, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome, is a common condition that often affects the knee joint in runners. It typically occurs when the cartilage under the kneecap (patella) becomes irritated due to overuse/under-conditioning, restriction in certain tissues around the knee, and in some cases muscular imbalances. This condition is especially common in runners, but is also seen in cyclists and athletes who engage in repetitive knee movements, especially in deep flexion positions. Symptoms of runner’s knee include pain or discomfort around or behind the kneecap, especially during running, squatting or going up and down stairs. Inflammation can occur when the patellofemoral joint is irritated, and a repetitive popping sensation in the knee may also be felt.
How to Recover from Runner’s Knee
Recovering from runner’s knee involves relative rest, a tailored rehabilitation programme from our experts at seventy9 Sports Therapy, and modification to your training routine. Initially it is important to reduce or stop activities that bring on the symptom. In some cases, it may be advisable to apply ice to the affected area. At seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford, we provide sports therapy services for sufferers of runner’s knee, focusing on strengthening the muscles around the knee and hips to support the joint under sport and exercise load. In some cases, we also need to place a focus on improving mobility and flexibility, as well as addressing any biomechanical issues that are driving the runner’s knee symptom. Sports Massage in Guildford from our experts at seventy9 Sports Therapy can play an essential role in reducing muscle tension around the patellofemoral joint, supporting the rehabilitation programme.
How Can We Help?
At our sports injury clinic in Guildford, we offer expert treatment for runner’s knee. Our sports therapists will assess your knee and develop a personalised treatment and rehabilitation plan that includes targeted strength and mobility exercises to address the underlying causes of your knee symptom. Additionally, our sports massage in Guildford is designed to aid your recovery by supporting your strength and mobility rehabilitation plan. Visit our sports injury clinic in Guildford for effective, professional care to help you recover and prevent future knee injuries.
Our sports therapists in Guildford are experts in caring for and supporting you in overcoming your runner’s knee, why not visit us? Our online booking system is easy to use, or just drop us an email to find out how we can help you return to full fitness!
What even is a sports injury clinic? Find out what our sports injury clinic in Guildford can do for you by reading this blog!