Running injury physio in London: assessment, treatment and your return-to-running plan

By Geoff Scott, Founder & Senior Physiotherapist, Hauora

By Geoff Scott, Senior Physiotherapist and founder of Hauora, former Head of Medicine and Performance at Tottenham Hotspur. Reviewed by Jason Oliveira, Senior Physiotherapist. Last updated 14 November 2026.

Quick answer: the fastest way back from a running injury is an accurate diagnosis, a plan that keeps you as active as possible, and a return to running based on tests you pass, not on how many weeks have gone by. At Hauora, our physiotherapy clinic in Primrose Hill, London, every runner gets a thorough assessment, a written treatment plan and a staged return-to-running pathway, built on the same principles we used in Premier League football.

Running injuries at a glance

  • They’re common. A 2021 systematic review found that, on average, around 40% of runners picked up a running-related injury over the study periods.
  • The knee, ankle and lower leg are the most commonly injured areas.
  • The most frequent new injuries are Achilles tendinopathy, shin pain (medial tibial stress syndrome), runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain), plantar fasciitis and ankle sprains.
  • Most are overload injuries: the tissue was asked to do more than it was ready for, usually after a change in mileage, pace, hills or shoes.
  • Complete rest rarely fixes them. The right type and amount of load does.

Running injuries we treat

What happens in a running injury assessment at Hauora

Your first appointment is with a senior physiotherapist and lasts 45 minutes, so there’s time to get to the real cause rather than just the sore spot. For runners who want the fullest picture, our 90-minute Hauora+ athlete session adds more testing and a longer planning conversation.

  1. Your running story. When the pain started, what changed beforehand (mileage, pace, hills, races, shoes, surface, sleep, work stress), and what you’re training for. Your Strava or Garmin history is useful if you have it.
  2. A clear diagnosis. A hands-on examination to find which tissue is irritated and why, and a check for anything that needs a scan or a doctor, such as a bone stress injury.
  3. Strength testing. Calf, quads, hamstrings and hip strength, compared side to side, using the same kind of measures we relied on in professional sport.
  4. Movement and control. Single-leg squats, balance and hopping, and how you move when you run, when it’s comfortable to test.
  5. Your plan. A written treatment plan with clear stages, the tests you’ll need to pass at each one, and what you can keep doing in the meantime.

Your treatment plan

  • Load, not rest. We adjust your running rather than stopping it where we can, and use cycling, swimming or cross-training to keep your fitness.
  • Targeted strength work for the injured tissue and the muscles that protect it, in our clinic gym and at home, progressed every week.
  • Hands-on treatment where it helps to settle pain and get you moving, always alongside exercise.
  • Training advice on mileage, pace, hills and recovery, so the same injury doesn’t come back.
  • Fuelling for runners. If under-fuelling might be part of the picture, for example with bone stress injuries, our performance nutritionist Dr Emma Tester can help.

Our return-to-running pathway

You move to the next stage when you pass its tests, not when a date arrives. That’s how we managed return to play in the Premier League, and it works just as well for a first 10k or a London Marathon place.

  1. Settle and protect. Calm the pain, keep fit with low-impact training and start strength work you can tolerate.
  2. Build capacity. Progressive strength and tendon loading until the injured side is close to the other side.
  3. Ready-to-run tests. Brisk walking without pain, pain-free hopping on the injured leg, and strength within about 90% of the other side.
  4. Walk-run programme. Short run intervals on alternate days, building the running time week by week, as long as symptoms settle by the next morning.
  5. Back to normal training. Continuous running first, then longer runs, then speed and hills, adding one thing at a time.
  6. Race ready, and staying there. A maintenance strength routine and a sensible plan for your next build-up.

When to get checked quickly

Stop running and book an assessment if pain is sharp, gets worse with each run, makes you limp, is present at night or at rest, or if a small spot on a bone is very tender to touch. These can be signs of a bone stress injury, which needs the right diagnosis and a different plan.

Why runners choose Hauora

  • Senior physiotherapists only. Geoff Scott spent two decades leading medicine and performance at Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest. Jason Oliveira spent seven years as a senior physio at Saracens.
  • Measured, criteria-based rehab, so you always know where you stand and what’s next.
  • Physio, strength coaching and nutrition under one roof, working from the same plan.
  • On your running routes. We’re in Primrose Hill, a short run from Regent’s Park and close to Hampstead Heath, Camden, St John’s Wood and Belsize Park. Open Monday to Saturday, with same-day appointments often available.

Frequently asked questions

Should I stop running completely with an injury?

Usually not. Most running injuries recover best with the right amount of load rather than complete rest. Stop and get assessed if pain is sharp, makes you limp or gets worse each run.

When can I start running again after an injury?

When you can walk briskly without pain, hop on the injured leg without pain, and your strength is close to the other side. Then start with a walk-run programme and build gradually.

Can I run through mild pain?

For some tendon problems, mild discomfort that settles by the next morning can be acceptable. Pain that is sharp, builds during the run or lingers the next day means you’ve done too much.

Do I need a scan for a running injury?

Most runners don’t. We arrange an MRI or a specialist opinion when we suspect a bone stress injury, when symptoms aren’t improving as expected, or when the result would change your treatment.

Are my running shoes the problem?

Rarely on their own. A sudden change of shoe can play a part, but training load, strength and recovery usually matter more. Comfortable shoes that you’re used to are a good starting point.

Can you help me get to a marathon start line?

Yes. Tell us your race date at your first appointment, and we’ll plan your rehab and return to training around it, with an honest view on what’s realistic.

Do I need a referral?

No, you can book directly. If you’re claiming on health insurance, check with your insurer first, as some ask for a GP or specialist referral.

Book a running injury assessment

Book at Hauora, At The Core, 44 Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill, London NW1 8JD. A 45-minute physiotherapy assessment is £155, and a 90-minute Hauora+ athlete session is £250. See all our fees, book online at hauora.com/book or call 020 4541 8924.

Finding us: Hauora is based inside the At The Core building, but we’re a separate business from At The Core. We share the building and the phone number, so when you call, please ask for Hauora.

Related reading: returning to sport after injury and cycling injury physio and return to riding.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you’re injured or unwell, see a doctor or physiotherapist.

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