If you’ve picked up a sports injury, it’s easy to feel uncertain about what to do next. Should you rest or keep moving? Do you need a scan or surgery? And why do professional athletes seem to recover so differently?
This article is based on a conversation between two of our experts, Mr Jonathan Bird and Dr Ian Beasley. Their shared view is simple: you don’t need to be a professional athlete to benefit from sports medicine. What matters is getting the right diagnosis, the right plan and the right support through recovery.
Sports medicine focuses on how your body responds to movement, load and recovery after injury.
It isn’t limited to professional sport. It applies to anyone active, from regular runners to people playing sports on the weekend.
In elite settings, care is often highly structured. Athletes may have immediate access to scans, daily physiotherapy and close medical support. For most people, that level of support isn’t built in.
At OS Clinic, the aim is to apply the same clinical thinking to everyday patients. That starts with careful assessment and continues with a clear, coordinated plan.
One of the clearest points from our experts’ discussion is that your body doesn’t distinguish between levels of sport.
If you injure your knee playing recreational football, the damage to structures such as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or meniscus is the same type of injury seen in elite players.
Mr Jonathan Bird explains. ‘Your knee doesn’t know that it’s not attached to a professional footballer. It’s doing the same job.’
What differs is everything around the injury. Professional athletes often have access to daily rehab and structured support. Most people are balancing recovery with work, family life and daily responsibilities.
That difference can influence how recovery feels and how long it takes.
Surgery can be an important part of treatment, but it’s only one step in recovery.
Rehabilitation is what restores movement, strength and confidence in the joint. Without it, progress can feel slow or incomplete.
Even with the same operation, outcomes can vary depending on the support around recovery.
Mr Bird adds, ‘I can do the same operation as [on] a Premier League footballer. The difference is the rehab they have access to every day.’
A structured rehabilitation plan helps guide each stage, from starting early movement through to returning to sport.
Not all injuries require an operation. Many improve with non-surgical treatment, including physiotherapy and guided strengthening. The decision depends on your symptoms, your activity level and what you want to return to.
For example, some ligament injuries can be managed without surgery. Others may need reconstruction, which is an operation to rebuild or repair the ligament and help restore stability.
This decision isn’t always straightforward. It should be based on a clear assessment and an understanding of your goals.
A common concern is that exercise might make joint problems worse. This is often raised in people with knee arthritis. Some people are advised to stop running or avoid impact activity. However, current evidence suggests that running doesn’t cause arthritis and does not accelerate it if it is already present.
Staying active can support joint function and overall health. The focus is on adapting activity to your symptoms, rather than stopping completely.
Mr Bird notes that, ‘It’s infuriating when people are told to stop exercising when it’s such an important part of their health.’
Recovery timelines are often misunderstood. For some injuries, healing follows a set biological process – for example, returning to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction usually takes around nine months.
This isn’t something that can be rushed, Mr Bird explains. ‘We can get people back to sport. We can reduce failure rates. We can’t make it quicker.’
Professional athletes may appear to recover faster, but they often have daily rehab and start from a higher level of fitness. For most people, recovery may take longer, but the same principles apply.
Sports injuries are rarely managed by one specialist alone – a multidisciplinary approach brings together different areas of expertise to guide care from diagnosis through to recovery.
This may include:
This joined-up approach helps avoid delays and ensures that decisions are made with the full picture in mind. As Dr Ian Beasley explains, ‘Most people don’t know how to navigate the system. What we can do is help guide them through to full recovery.’
It’s worth getting an assessment if your symptoms aren’t improving or are affecting your daily life.
You should consider specialist advice if:
Early assessment can help clarify what’s going on and guide the next steps.
If you’ve had a sports injury and aren’t sure what to do next, a specialist assessment can help you understand your options clearly.
At OS Clinic, care is consultant-led and designed to guide you from diagnosis through to recovery, with access to imaging and rehabilitation where needed.
Book a consultation with our team to discuss your symptoms and next steps.
Prefer to speak first? Call +44 (0)20 7046 8000.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have sudden or severe symptoms, seek urgent medical attention.
