Sports Physiotherapy
Sports physiotherapy for people who train: assessment that identifies what is driving the problem and the load that caused it, then a plan that keeps you moving while the injury settles.
The short answer
What this treatment is
Sports physiotherapy is the assessment and treatment of injuries caused by, or affecting, physical activity, with a return to your sport as the explicit end point. That end point is what separates it from general musculoskeletal care: the goal is not simply that the pain has gone, but that the tissue can take the load your sport puts through it.
Most sports injuries are load problems rather than damage problems. Something was asked of a tendon, muscle or joint faster than it had adapted to, and it objected. That framing matters, because it changes the treatment. Complete rest removes the load, so the pain settles, then returns the moment you train again, because nothing was rebuilt in the meantime.
An assessment covers what you were doing when it started, how your training has changed in the weeks before, where the pain is and what provokes it, and how the surrounding joints move and hold strength. From there we agree what to ease off, what to keep doing, and what to add. Most people continue training in a modified form throughout.
Sports physiotherapy can help you to:
Work out what actually went wrong
The sorest spot is not always the source. We assess the joint above and below, how you move under load, and what changed in your training before it started, so the plan targets the cause rather than only the symptom.
Keep training while it settles
Stopping altogether tends to leave you weaker, so the problem returns on your first session back. In most cases there is a modified version of your training that does not provoke the injury, and we find it.
Rebuild the capacity that was missing
If a tissue failed under a load, the fix is to make it able to take that load. Progressive strengthening is the part that changes the outcome, and it is the part most self-managed injuries skip.
Know when you are genuinely ready
Returning because a number of weeks has passed is a common way to get injured again. We use strength comparisons between limbs and sport-specific movement tests, so the decision rests on what you can do.
Patient journey
What to expect
Consultation & preparation
Wear or bring clothing you can move and be assessed in, such as shorts and a t-shirt. Bring the trainers or footwear you train in, and any details of your recent training, including a watch or app log if you keep one. If you have had imaging or a previous course of treatment for the same problem, bring the report.
During treatment
Aftercare
You leave with an exercise programme and a clear idea of what to change in your training. Follow-up is typically every one to two weeks at first, reviewing how you responded and progressing the load, then spacing out as you improve. Return-to-sport testing happens before full training resumes.
FAQ
Common
questions
What does a sports physiotherapy appointment involve?
A detailed history of your sport and recent training, then a physical assessment of movement, strength and control. You get an explanation of what is driving the problem, a plan covering what to ease off and what to keep doing, and an initial exercise programme. Most people start treatment in that first appointment.
Do I have to stop training completely?
Usually not. Complete rest settles the pain but leaves the tissue no stronger, so symptoms return when you resume. In most cases there is a modified version of your training that does not provoke the injury. Keeping that going protects your fitness and generally produces a faster, more durable return.
How long does a sports injury take to recover?
It depends on the tissue and how long it has been going on. A minor muscle strain may settle in a few weeks, while a stubborn tendon problem is often a three to six month programme. Your physiotherapist gives you a realistic range at the first appointment rather than a fixed promise.
Does Canary Wharf Physio need a referral or a scan first?
No referral is needed to see a physiotherapist privately. Scans are rarely the starting point, because imaging frequently shows changes that are common in people with no pain at all. Canary Wharf Physio arranges imaging when there is a specific clinical reason, and says clearly when it thinks one is warranted.
Can I keep training around an injury?
Almost always something, and that something matters more than people expect. Detraining costs you fitness that then has to be rebuilt on top of the injury, so the plan keeps the parts of your training that do not provoke it. Canary Wharf Physio writes that modification against your actual week.
Do you work with runners and gym-based athletes differently?
The assessment is the same and the return plan is not. A runner is rebuilt on graded volume before speed, one variable at a time. Somebody training in the gym is rebuilt on load, range and the movement that hurt. Both end with testing under fatigue, because that is where a problem shows up.
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Canary Wharf Physio • Unit 7, 30 South Colonnade, London E14 5HX
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