Football Season Injuries: Prevention and Recovery
It’s officially football season. If you’re a footballer, you’ll know this time of year can push your body to its limits. ACL tears, sprains, strains, pains and multiple ice packs to the nether regions.
You already know the injuries. But do you know how to treat them so well that you return to the game stronger?
That’s where our football injury rehabilitation in Manchester comes in. At NT Sports Therapy, we expertly tailor rehab so you can recover stronger and get back on the pitch faster.
Read on to find out how we help footballers rebuild strength and prevent repeat injuries.
Common Football Injuries
Please don’t flinch at the idea, but here are some of the most common football injuries we treat at NT Sports Therapy Manchester.
Sprains and Strains
What is it? A sprain affects a ligament (the connective tissue around joints). A strain affects a muscle or tendon.
Cause: Both happen when the tissue stretches or tears from sudden force. Examples are quick direction changes, collisions, cold-weather tightness, fatigue or skipping warm-ups.
Recovery time with our help: Strain: 3-6 weeks. Sprain: 6-12 weeks.
Shin Splints and Achilles Tendonitis
What is it? Inflammation of the shinbone or Achilles tendon from overuse and repetitive impact.
Cause: Running on hard ground, poor footwear, tight calves or muscle imbalances that overload the lower leg.
Recovery time with our help: 4–8 weeks with soft-tissue work, biomechanics correction and guided strengthening.
Groin Strain and Hip Pain
What is it? Micro-tears in the inner-thigh muscles or irritation of the hip’s supporting structures.
Cause: Sudden direction changes, weak abductor or core muscles or impact during tackles.
Recovery time with our help: Usually 4–10 weeks. We target the surrounding muscles through myofascial release, joint mobilisation and strength training to stabilise the hips.
ACL and Meniscus Tears
What is it? The ACL is a ligament that stabilises the knee; the meniscus is the cartilage that cushions it. Both can tear during twisting or heavy impact. They often occur together.
Cause: Hard tackles, awkward landings or over-rotation of the knee joint.
Recovery time with our help: Micro-tears may heal naturally over several weeks with rehab.
For post-surgery ACL recovery, we can work from day one to reduce scar tissue and restore flexibility. ACL post-op is usually a 9–12-month journey (we feel your pain).
How We Treat Football Injuries
We use all kinds of treatment. Our sports therapist, Nikolay, is extensively trained in multiple therapeutic modalities that inform and strengthen each other. He’s not a one-trick pony!
All football injuries require similar therapy. It’s just a matter of when and how.
Here’s how a typical football injury rehabilitation plan might look at NT Sports Therapy:
1. Assessment and Stabilisation
Assessing how your body moves. Postural checks, biomechanical analysis and movement testing show us which muscles are compensating. We might also stabilise the joint using sports tape or kinesio taping to protect it while inflammation settles
2. Release and Rebalance
Using myofascial release, soft-tissue mobilisation and targeted massage, we release the muscles that are in spasm and restore balance around the joint. This stage prevents further compensation and helps the injured area start moving freely again.
3. Therapeutic Stimulation
We might use electrotherapy, shockwave or ultrasound to speed up healing. These stimulate blood flow, reduce scar tissue and improve muscle activation.
4. Rehabilitation & Strengthening
Once pain has eased, we build strength and stability through progressive rehabilitation. Resistance training, mobility work and retraining correct movement patterns to prevent re-injury.
*If injury reoccurs, we’ll investigate the issue deeper and send your bloods off to our phlebotomist. We’ll check your iron, zinc, B6, B12 and all the other good stuff if you’re experiencing mood swings, weakness, low energy, weight issues, etc. It might be a good idea to get these tested anyway; these vitamins are essential for the best players!
At-Home Recovery for Football Injuries
If you want peak performance, you’ve got to support your injury at home too. You can’t see my face right now, but my eyebrows are raised. We’ll give you a tailored take-home plan, but here are the basics:
- Active rest: Avoid overloading the joint, but keep gentle movement to maintain circulation. Get plenty of rest and sleep before 11pm for optimal recovery.
- Hot–cold therapy: Alternate temperature to reduce stiffness and stimulate endorphins.
- Gentle massage: Work on the muscles around the injury (not on it) to ease tension.
- Hydration and nutrition: Drink water with electrolytes (Celtic/Himalayan salt or sachets). Magnesium spray can also help, or lots of dark chocolate!
Football Injury Prevention
You probably know most of this…but there’s something we’d like to add that you might not be conscious of.
Arnold Schwarzenegger puts it, “If you want your muscles to grow, you have to think about the muscle as you’re performing it.” When you’re present with your body, your muscles coordinate, brace for impact and recover faster. That mind–body connection is so important! Stay connected with yourself on the pitch.
And the age-old warm-ups. Leg-focused stretches (hamstrings, quads, abductors, calves and hips) prep you for intense activity. Then cool down to let lactic acid settle. Train, stretch, train, stretch. A stretched muscle is a weak one, so build strength and flexibility together.
Don’t forget hydration: replace electrolytes to keep tissues supple and support muscle repair. As Nik says, hydration oils the muscle. Without it, you’re more prone to tightness and injury.
Life's a Pitch, Play it Properly
From weekend five-a-siders to semi-pro footballers, nobody is exempt from the utter inconvenience of football injuries.
Leaving them untreated can cause reduced performance and permanent damage.
We want you to enjoy your time on the pitch and to feel confident in the strength and ability of your body. Our football injury rehabilitation helps you recover stronger and play pain-free.
If you’re based in Manchester or Cheshire and need help recovering from a football injury, we’re here to help.
Drop us an email or give us a call anytime.
Phone: 0782 791 7900
Email: info@ntsportstherapy.com