Assessment
A full hour on your history and how your body actually moves. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a clear plan you can actually follow.
Concern
Triathlon Injury Treatment in London
Three disciplines, three sets of demands, and a training schedule that rarely lets anything fully recover: triathlon injuries are overload problems built from total load, not any single session. Swimmer’s shoulder, the cyclist’s knee and back, the runner’s Achilles and ITB: we treat them in the context of your whole programme across six central London clinics.
Overview
Understanding triathlon injuries
Triathlon stacks the demands of swimming, cycling, and running, so injuries usually reflect the total training load rather than a single discipline. The common presentations are rotator-cuff-related shoulder pain from swimming, patellofemoral knee pain and low back pain from cycling, and Achilles tendinopathy, ITB pain, calf strains, and shin pain from running.
Across all of these, progressive loading and intelligent load management are first-line. Graded loading is well supported for tendinopathy, and managing total training stress across the three sports is what prevents recurrence. We assess the injury and the whole programme: how your swim, bike, and run volumes interact, any recent build-up, and the strength and mechanics behind the problem, then plan it with our physiotherapy team.
Because running is where most triathlon overuse surfaces, our running assessment screens gait and load to address the upstream cause, especially through a marathon or long-course build.
Excellent
From 4 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
I had a fantastic experience working with Katrina as my physiotherapist. From the start, she was incredibly friendly and genuinely listened to my concerns. She adapted my rehab plan specifically to suit my individual needs and time frame, as I was preparing for a move and had a clear goal to be back playing football. Katrina not only helped me reach that goal right on time, but she also used a variety of techniques, including dry needling and massage, to relieve tightness in the surrounding muscles and support my overall recovery. Her attention to detail, encouragement, and tailored approach made a real difference in my progress. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a physio!
Katrina is outstanding. After struggling with a stubborn Achilles injury, she not only got me pain-free but back to running and sport. Her expertise in acupuncture, massage, and tailored rehab planning is second to none. On top of that, she brings great energy and conversation that make each session genuinely enjoyable. If you need a physio who combines real skill with a personal touch, Katrina is the one to see.
Great experience with Katrina. She helped me with a sprained ankle with a very doable and effective treatment plan. The exercises were not overcomplicated and easy to incorporate into my day to day life which meant that I actually did them and was able to recover within 5 weeks in time to do a tough mudder. Really easy to chat to! Would recommend.
Katrina was great with me! I had a hip injury and expected it to take ages to fix but with the exercises she gave me to do and acupuncture, it all went away quite quickly. I now have exercises I can do regularly in the future and knowledge on how to prevent. Great experience!
Physiotherapy for triathlon injuries can help to:
Treat the injury in the context of your whole programme
Triathlon injuries reflect total training load across all three disciplines. We look at how your swim, bike and run volumes interact, so the plan fixes the real cause rather than blaming one discipline.
Settle swimmer shoulder
High swim volume and the demands of technique load the rotator cuff. We rebuild the shoulder strength and control so it tolerates your stroke and mileage again.
Unload the cyclist knee and back
Sustained cycling loads the front of the knee and the low back. We build the capacity to hold your position and turn the pedals without the familiar ache.
Fix the runner Achilles and ITB
Running is where most triathlon overuse surfaces: Achilles tendinopathy, ITB pain, calf and shin trouble. Progressive loading and sensible progression get you back on the road.
Screen the running that drives most of it
Because running causes most triathlon overuse, our running assessment screens gait and load to address the upstream cause, and we plan around a marathon or long-course build-up.
Why it happens
What causes triathlon injuries?
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The total load of three sports, without enough recovery between them
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Building run mileage or intensity too quickly, which causes most overuse injuries
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Shoulder overload from high swim volume and the technique it demands
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Front-of-knee and lower back load from hours in the cycling position
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Achilles, calf and outer-thigh overload from running on top of bike and swim fatigue
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Strength and mechanics deficits that each discipline exposes differently
What happens at your first appointment
We work out what is really holding you back, then agree the plan with you before you leave.
Your first appointment runs a full 60 minutes: a detailed history, then a thorough examination of how you move, your strength, and the affected area. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis with you.
Treatment starts the same day, and you leave with the first exercises of a plan built around your goal.
Move well, move freely. That has been the idea since 1997. We settle the symptoms first, then rebuild the strength that stops them coming back, so you finish stronger than when you started.
- One clinical team across six central London clinics, from Soho to Canary Wharf, with same-week appointments.
- Treating central London since 1997: 28 years and roughly 160,000 patients.
- Recognised by seven major UK insurers, including Bupa, AXA and Vitality, with self-pay welcome.
Physiotherapy fees and insurance in London
You can book online directly, with no GP referral needed and same-week appointments across all six clinics. If you are using private health insurance, check your policy first: some insurers ask for a GP referral before your first session.
- Initial assessment: a full 60 minutes covering your history, examination and a working diagnosis
- Follow-up treatment: 45 minutes, with your plan progressed at each visit
- Extended 60-minute treatments for complex or multi-area problems
- Recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna, Nuffield Health and WPA
Your journey
with Soho Physiotherapy
Everything is built around you. Whether the goal is a marathon or a comfortable commute, we find what is driving the problem, treat it, and build the strength that keeps the fix in place. Our aim is to get you better and give you the tools to stay better for the long term.
Treatment
Hands-on care to settle symptoms and restore movement: joint mobilisation, soft-tissue work and dry needling where they genuinely help, in line with national guidance.
Rebuild
Progressive exercise that returns the strength, control and load tolerance your body needs for work, sport and everything in between. This is the part that makes recovery last.
Perform
A short home programme, sensible loads, and the habits that keep problems rare. Then we discharge you: we don't sell sessions you don't need.
What we treat across our six London clinics
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Manual therapy and progressive exercise rehabilitation
- Dry needling and Western medical acupuncture
- Sports massage and soft-tissue therapy
- Shockwave therapy for stubborn tendon problems
- Post-operative rehabilitation
- Women's and pelvic health physiotherapy
- Workplace and desk setup assessments
- Running and gait analysis
Treatment approach
How do we treat triathlon injuries?
Running Assessment
Price on enquiryRunning is where most triathlon overuse injuries surface, so video gait analysis and load screening target the upstream cause: the same service that covers runners and marathon training, cross-linked here for long-course athletes.
See treatment detail →Physiotherapy
Price on enquiryAssessment, manual therapy, and progressive loading treat the specific injury: shoulder, knee, back, or Achilles, while managing total training stress across swim, bike, and run so recovery holds.
See treatment detail →Shockwave Therapy
Price on enquiryFor Achilles or patellar tendinopathy that has not settled with first-line loading, focused shockwave may be worth considering alongside continued rehabilitation, in line with NICE interventional procedures guidance.
See treatment detail →Sports Massage
Price on enquiryAdjunctive soft-tissue work and recovery support during heavy training blocks across the three disciplines: useful alongside the loading programme, not as a stand-alone treatment.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Common questions about
triathlon injuries in London
Why do triathletes get injured so often?
Because the total load across swim, bike, and run rarely lets any one tissue fully recover, and most age-group athletes train around work. Overuse injuries: Achilles, ITB, patellofemoral knee, and swimmer’s shoulder: build from the combined stress rather than one session. Managing total training load, alongside treating the sore area, is what keeps triathletes healthy and progressing.
I’m building for a marathon or long-course race: can you help?
Yes. Running is where most triathlon overuse injuries surface, so our running assessment service screens your gait, strength, and load to address what is actually driving it. We plan rehabilitation around your event timeline and training blocks, giving you a realistic return-to-running progression and the milestones to hit before race day.
Should I stop training while an injury settles?
Rarely completely: one advantage of triathlon is that you can usually keep training in the disciplines that do not aggravate the injury while the affected one recovers. Relative rest plus progressive loading beats total rest, which causes deconditioning. We tell you which sessions to keep, modify, or pause, and how to maintain fitness through the recovery.
When should a triathlon injury be assessed urgently?
Seek urgent care for a suspected stress fracture (focal bone pain that worsens with impact and persists at rest), acute trauma with a joint that cannot bear weight, or sudden severe calf or Achilles pain with loss of push-off, which can signal a rupture. For these, physiotherapy is not the first step: see your GP or attend A&E.
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Soho Physiotherapy • 111 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DT
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