Assessment
Your physiotherapist discusses your symptoms, goals, medical history and lifestyle, then completes a thorough assessment. Initial appointments are typically 45 to 60 minutes, so there is time to do it properly.
What We Treat
Sports Injury Treatment in London
The fastest way back onto the pitch is rarely the safest one: returning before strength and symmetry are rebuilt is the strongest predictor of re-injury, which is why we test against measurable benchmarks rather than discharging on "feels OK". Sports injury treatment in London and Henley for hamstring strains, ankle sprains, knee ligament injuries, runner-specific complaints, and racket-sport tendinopathies: by a team with Olympic, Commonwealth, and elite-club experience.
Overview
Understanding sports injuries
The fastest way back onto the pitch is rarely the safest one. Returning before strength and symmetry are rebuilt is the single strongest predictor of re-injury, so sports-injury rehab at TA Physio is built around the same return-to-sport (RTS) framework used in elite settings, rather than a discharge on 'feels OK'.
That framework moves through clear, testable stages:
- Settle and diagnose: an accurate diagnosis, and early clearance of the small number of injuries that need urgent imaging or a surgical opinion.
- Rebuild strength and symmetry: graded loading to at least 90 % limb-to-limb symmetry, addressing the deficits up the kinetic chain (hip, glute, calf, trunk) that caused the problem.
- Sport-specific function and confidence: drills under fatigue and psychological readiness before you are cleared, because skipping these stages is what drives recurrence.
Our team has worked with GB Bobsleigh, England Lacrosse, NSL Netball, Crystal Palace FC and the British Tennis performance team, and at six major multi-sport events from London 2012 to Gold Coast 2018. We bring exactly that rigour to amateur runners, weekend footballers and recreational racket-sport players, and progress each plan through Track Rehab so the rehab is filmed and repeatable between sessions.
Most acute injuries clear in 4 to 8 weeks; ligament and tendon problems often need 12 to 16 weeks for full clearance. Physiotherapy leads the process; for recurrent running injuries we add a running gait analysis to find the driver, and for stubborn tendinopathies shockwave therapy alongside the loading. Related work includes muscular injuries and, where surgery is involved, post-operative rehabilitation.
Excellent
From 4 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
I first started using Tom last year to help relieve back pain, he has been extremely helpful and now he's supporting me with sprint and fitness training, whilst helping with any minor injuries. Can't recommend him and his team more highly.
I went to Tom with a shoulder injury that had not improved for several months. Tom is very knowledgeable and quickly identified the issue and put me on a course of exercises that, in conjunction with a couple more sessions, steadily resolved the problem. I would highly recommend him.
Parinita was brilliant! Identified my knee problem immediately, used a range of equipment and exercises not only to strengthen my knee, but to maintain it and improve my running long-term.
Excellent service! Sanchez is a true professional who helped me heal a previous injury. Highly recommend!
Physiotherapy for sports injuries can help to:
Get the diagnosis right in week one
Early assessment rules out the small number of injuries that need urgent imaging or a surgical opinion, and starts the rehab clock sooner. Waiting two weeks to see how it feels delays recovery for almost every injury type. Same-week appointments run across all three clinics.
Keep you training while you heal
Complete shutdown is rarely the right answer. Most plans keep your aerobic fitness, strength elsewhere in the body and the sport-specific work that does not load the injured tissue. Part of the first session is agreeing exactly what you can keep doing this week.
Rebuild strength and symmetry
Rehab progresses through graded loading until the injured side tests at 90 percent of the other limb or better. Most acute injuries clear in 4 to 8 weeks, while ligament and tendon problems often need 12 to 16 weeks of structured work before full clearance testing.
Clear you for return with data
Return-to-sport clearance uses the framework our team applies in elite settings: strength symmetry, sport-specific drills under fatigue and psychological readiness, not a pain-free jog around the block. More than half of recurrent hamstring injuries happen in the first month back when those stages are skipped.
Find the pattern behind the injury
Recurring injuries usually have a driver up the chain: hip strength, sprint mechanics, landing control or a training-volume spike. For runners, sensor-based gait analysis identifies it directly. Fixing the pattern is what separates rehab that lasts from rehab that repeats every season.
Treat the stubborn tendon properly
Chronic Achilles, patellar, gluteal and elbow tendinopathies that have stopped responding to loading alone can be treated with shockwave therapy alongside the rehab plan. Around 80 percent of patients report marked pain reduction within 3 to 4 short sessions, each integrated with your loading work.
Why it happens
What causes sports injuries?
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Sudden mechanical overload: sprint deceleration, jump landing, change-of-direction, awkward fall
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Cumulative load mismanagement: too much volume too soon (training-error injuries, stress fractures, tendinopathies, anterior knee pain)
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Strength deficits up the kinetic chain: typically hip, gluteal, calf, or core
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Movement-pattern faults: poor sprint mechanics, hip drop, trunk lean, faulty landing
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Inadequate warm-up, recovery, and sleep: well-evidenced amplifiers of injury risk
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Previous injury without full RTS clearance (the strongest single predictor of recurrence)
What happens at your first physio appointment?
Initial appointments are typically 45 to 60 minutes. You leave with a clear explanation of your condition, treatment recommendations, a report explaining it in simple language, and a personalised rehabilitation plan.
Follow-ups run 30 to 45 minutes, and we reassess at every visit rather than selling you a block of sessions up front.
A thorough, honest, and understandable explanation. Then the best treatment to get you back to a level of activity beyond your pre-injury status. If we can't get you better, we will recommend the world's leading healthcare professionals in London that can.
- Founded in 2015 by Tom Astley: 7 clinicians working across 3 clinics in Crouch End, Marylebone and Henley-on-Thames.
- Our team has successfully worked with local, national and international athletes at 6 major multi-sport events, from London 2012 to Gold Coast 2018, and we bring that expertise to everyone who enters our service.
- Rated 4.9 from 88 Google reviews; recognised by 5 major UK insurers, and self-funded patients book online with no GP referral.
Fees and insurance
Book directly online through Splose. Self-funded patients need no GP referral; if you are claiming through insurance, obtain prior authorisation before booking.
- Physiotherapy with Tom Astley: £85 initial consultation, £77 follow-up
- Sports and dance therapy with Laura Fornoni: £75 initial consultation, £70 follow-up
- Shockwave therapy: £230 for the initial consultation plus 3 sessions, then £80 per further treatment
- Running gait and performance reviews: £80 Base, £135 Intermediate, £185 Expert
- Recognised by Bupa, Cigna, Vitality, WPA and Simply Health
How physiotherapy works
from assessment to return to sport
Book today to get an assessment, advice, a report and a rehabilitation plan. We combine hands-on treatment with gym-based rehab to get you well, today, and we reassess at every visit.
Advice and report
A clear explanation of your condition and a report explaining it in simple language, alongside hands-on treatment: manual therapy, soft tissue techniques and joint mobilisation where they help.
Rehabilitation plan
Exercise rehabilitation tailored to your goals and condition, delivered through Track Rehab. Our clinics sit inside gym facilities, so the plan has the equipment and technology it actually needs.
Return
Structured programmes and return-to-sport testing before you go back, so you return safely and confidently. The goal is a level of activity beyond your pre-injury status, not just less pain.
What our physiotherapists treat
- Manual therapy and joint mobilisation
- Exercise rehabilitation through Track Rehab
- Dry needling for stubborn trigger points
- Shockwave therapy for chronic tendinopathy
- Sensor-based running gait analysis
- Sports massage, scar work and soft tissue therapy
- Women's health, Mummy MOT and postnatal rehabilitation
- Post-operative and ACL rehabilitation
- Return-to-sport testing
Treatment approach
How do we treat sports injuries?
Physiotherapy & Sports Therapy
From £75Sport-injury rehab follows the same return-to-sport framework used in elite settings. Most acute injuries clear in 4 to 8 weeks; ligament/tendon often 12 to 16 weeks for full RTS clearance.
See treatment detail →Shockwave Therapy
£230 for 3 sessionsFor chronic Achilles, patellar, gluteal, and elbow tendinopathies that have not responded to loading alone, ESWT accelerates the response when added to the rehab plan.
See treatment detail →Running Gait & Performance Reviews
From £80For recurrent running injuries: ITB, PFPS, Achilles, shin splints: sensor-assisted gait analysis identifies the movement-pattern driver so the rehab plan addresses the cause, not just the symptom.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
When should I see a physio after a sports injury?
Within the first week, ideally. Early assessment lets us rule out the small number of injuries that need urgent imaging or surgical opinion (Grade 3 ligament rupture, suspected fracture, acute Achilles rupture), and starts the rehab clock sooner. The old advice to 'wait and see' for two weeks delays recovery for almost every injury type. Same-week appointments are typically available across all three clinics.
How is your return-to-sport approach different?
We use the same data-driven RTS framework used in elite settings: clearance, strength symmetry of at least 90 % limb-to-limb, sport-specific drills under fatigue, and psychological readiness. Skipping these stages is the strongest predictor of re-injury (more than half of recurrent hamstring injuries happen within the first month post-return). We test against measurable benchmarks rather than discharging on "feels OK".
Do I need a scan?
Most sports injuries do not need imaging. We image when the diagnosis is unclear, when a Grade 3 muscle/ligament injury is suspected, when surgery may be indicated, or when symptoms aren't following the expected recovery curve. When imaging is appropriate we refer through the right specialist for the body part involved and continue rehab in parallel.
Can I keep training while injured?
Almost always yes, but with modifications. Most rehab plans include modified training that maintains aerobic fitness, strength elsewhere in the body, and sport-specific elements that do not load the injured tissue. Complete shutdown is rarely the right answer for an active patient and often slows return-to-sport. The first session is partly about agreeing what you can keep doing.
Related What We Treat
Get Started
Book a physiotherapy appointment
in Crouch End, Marylebone or Henley.
Tom Astley Physiotherapy • Park Road Pools & Fitness, Crouch End, London N8 8JN
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks