Could Physical Therapy be the answer to your football injury?

If you would like to speak to one of our experienced therapists about your particular problem then call 020 7733 9944 to arrange a personal conversation with an expert.

Maybe the recent excitement of the World Cup is enough to inspire you to head to the park for a game of footie with friends, despite the weather.  And why not?  There are many advantages to the beautiful game:

It promotes fitness, using an extensive range of physical exercise, increasing strength and muscular endurance while developing co-ordination and agility. It’s a great leveller, fostering teamwork and camaraderie. It can be cheap and easy – a ball is all that’s really required.

But if you’re not used to it (and even if you are), football can be hard on the body. Even if you’re just playing it for fun in the park.  And that’s when injuries can occur. (You're welcome to call us to discuss your specific injury with one of our experts). Far from being one long continuous period of running and kicking, there’s a lot of stop-start activity during a 90-minute game. With that in mind, it pays to increase strength and agility before even getting onto the pitch and to follow some simple tips for getting the most from your kick about:

• Seek advice, preferably from a personal trainer, to assess current fitness, put together appropriate goals (pardon the pun!) and a tailored training programme.

• Invest in proper football boots and shin-pads to support knees, ankles and feet.

• Always warm and stretch muscles before training starting off with a slow jog. As football is all about running, jumping, quick changes of direction and stop-start activity, it’s best to do some dynamic warm-ups – sprinting, jogging, jumping, turning and dribbling the ball.

• Cool down and stretch properly after training.

• Take time off! Taking a well-earned rest day prevents overuse and enables the body to repair itself.

• Never train if injured – take the time to recover.

But if you should you experience pain or pick up an injury that doesn’t get better, then you could visit a Physical Therapist. Physiotherapy, and Osteopathy, help to restore movement and function and decrease pain. These specialist therapists can also refer a patient for further diagnostic tests, provide tailored advice and/or exercise programmes to help repair or prevent injury.

At Brixton Therapy Centre our expert team includes Chartered Physiotherapists, and specialist Osteopaths, who have a broad depth of knowledge and experience working with a variety of conditions and injuries. They specialise in working with musculoskeletal conditions, post-op rehabilitation and sporting and occupational injuries.  They work by providing tailored exercise, advice, and manual therapy and by developing long-term strategies to prevent recurrent injuries and ongoing pain.

Several of our Osteopaths have completed a foundation course in acupuncture and may use this as an adjunct to physical therapy treatment.  So, if you’ve been injured trying to channel your inner Harry Kane then why not get in touch to discuss your particular injury to see how we can help. Or you can book an appointment online.

We have been providing physical therapy and injury rehab in Brixton since 1999 so have a wealth of experience. We are only a few minutes from Brixton tube, on the high street.