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Sports injury rehab questions & evidence

Rehab built around how, and how often, you train. What athletes ask us first, then what the research shows.

Reviewed by Elias Nghaywe, DPT, MScUpdated 24 October 20266 min read5 studies

Elias Nghaywe holding a kettlebell in the clinic training area

Your questions, answered

What patients ask us most about sports medicine rehab, in plain words.

Do I have to stop training completely?

Usually not. For many injuries we keep you training with some changes, using pain as a guide. In research on Achilles tendon pain, carefully monitored running and jumping during rehab did not slow recovery.

Should I rest an ankle sprain?

Protect it for the first few days, but start gentle, guided exercise early. Early exercise improved ankle function in the first weeks compared with rest, ice and compression alone.

How long does a hamstring injury take?

It depends on the type and where it is. The right exercises make a big difference: in elite footballers, a programme built on lengthening exercises got players back in about four weeks instead of seven.

Why do my injuries keep coming back?

Often because the pain settled but strength, control or the ability to handle load did not fully return. Rehab is not finished when it stops hurting. It is finished when you are ready for what your sport asks of you.

I'm not a professional athlete. Is this for me?

Yes. Whether you run, play padel or football, lift, or train twice a week, the plan is built around your sport and your schedule.

How is it different from general physiotherapy?

The end goal is performance, not only being pain-free. Exercises progress to speed, power, changes of direction and drills from your sport.

What the research shows

Key findings from systematic reviews, randomised trials and major studies indexed on PubMed. Numbers link to the full references below.

Long-standing groin pain

Randomised trial · 68 athletes

In athletes whose groin pain had lasted a median of 40 weeks, an active strength and coordination programme returned 23 athletes to their sport without pain, compared with 4 in the group treated without active training.[1]

Hamstring injuries

Randomised trial · 75 elite players

Football players following a rehab programme built on lengthening exercises returned to full training in 28 days on average, compared with 51 days with conventional exercises.[2]

Ankle sprains

Randomised trial · 101 patients

Starting therapeutic exercise in the first week after an ankle sprain improved ankle function over the first two weeks compared with protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation alone, and patients were more active.[3]

Keep training, carefully

Randomised trial · 38 patients

People with Achilles tendon pain who kept running and jumping, guided by a pain-monitoring model, improved as much over 12 months as those who stopped, while following the same strengthening programme.[4]

Better together: fewer repeat sprains

Randomised trial · 522 athletes

Adding an 8-week home balance training programme to usual care cut repeat ankle sprains by 35% over the following year.[5]

How we use it at Dr. Phyx

We assess the injury and what your sport asks of your body. Then we combine hands-on care, targeted techniques such as shockwave or dry needling when they fit, and a programme that moves from pain control to strength to sport-specific work.

We plan around your training and match calendar, and stay in touch on WhatsApp between sessions.

Always by a qualified specialist, after a full assessment, because your health comes first.

When we are careful

Get a medical opinion first, or straight after we assess you, if you have:

  • Major swelling straight after an injury, or you cannot put weight on the leg
  • A pop in the knee followed by swelling or the knee giving way
  • A suspected fracture or dislocation
  • Numbness, pins and needles or weakness after the injury
  • A head injury or suspected concussion

Injured and want to keep training?

Send us a message on WhatsApp. We will tell you honestly whether it suits your case, and book a first assessment if it does.

Ask on WhatsApp

References

  1. Hölmich P, Uhrskou P, Ulnits L, et al. Effectiveness of active physical training as treatment for long-standing adductor-related groin pain in athletes: randomised trial. Lancet. 1999;353(9151):439-443. PubMed · doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(98)03340-6
  2. Askling CM, Tengvar M, Thorstensson A. Acute hamstring injuries in Swedish elite football: a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial comparing two rehabilitation protocols. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47(15):953-959. PubMed · doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092165
  3. Bleakley CM, O'Connor SR, Tully MA, et al. Effect of accelerated rehabilitation on function after ankle sprain: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2010;340:c1964. PubMed · doi:10.1136/bmj.c1964
  4. Silbernagel KG, Thomeé R, Eriksson BI, Karlsson J. Continued sports activity, using a pain-monitoring model, during rehabilitation in patients with Achilles tendinopathy: a randomized controlled study. Am J Sports Med. 2007;35(6):897-906. PubMed · doi:10.1177/0363546506298279
  5. Hupperets MD, Verhagen EA, van Mechelen W. Effect of unsupervised home based proprioceptive training on recurrences of ankle sprain: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2009;339:b2684. PubMed · doi:10.1136/bmj.b2684

This article is general information reviewed by a physiotherapist. It is not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan.