DC Injury Clinic

DC Injury Clinic No-nonsense injury assessment, treatment and rehabilitation in Wroughton, Swindon

DC Injury Clinic is an Injury & Rehabilitation Clinic in Swindon, offering treatment of all manner of injuries - from soft tissue manipulation to joint mobilisations. On this page I will look to share the most recent evidence (often without opinion!) in injury treatment; post links to interesting blogs and articles; question some dubious practices; and also keep you up to date with appointment availability.

"Ligament laxity" is NOT a diagnosis when working with adolescents. This laxity - or what might be called joint hypermob...
28/05/2026

"Ligament laxity" is NOT a diagnosis when working with adolescents.

This laxity - or what might be called joint hypermobility - is common and often physiologically normal in adolescents.

This isn't an opinion piece, and simply treating adolescents like little adults shows a lack of understanding around working with a younger demographic.

The research is clear, and key findings include:

A 2023 systematic review reported that generalised joint hypermobility is “common” in children and adolescents, with prevalence estimates ranging widely depending on age, s*x, ethnicity, and diagnostic criteria.
📄 Hypermobility prevalence, measurements, and outcomes in childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood: a systematic review, Rheumatology International, 2023

A 2024 meta-analysis combined data from over 25,000 children and found average prevalence around 33%, with prevalence higher in females than males and prevalence decreasing with maturation and adulthood.
📄Variability of joint hypermobility in children: a meta-analytic approach to set cut-off scores, Williams et al, 2024

Research also consistently shows this laxity is influenced by:
- s*x
- pubertal stage
- ethnicity
- and maturation status

All together this essentially means 1 in 3 children will present with laxity regardless of pain level or injury; that joint laxity generally decreases with age; and it is often a *normal developmental characteristic in youth* - not a pathology.

There is some evidence that hypermobility can increase injury risk in some athletic populations - especially where dynamic control is poor.

But this is a dynamic control issue, not a ligament issue.

A symptom, not a cause.

And so laxity alone should not be considered abnormal.

IMH(evidence-informed)O.

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🤕Got a child in pain and want that to change? Drop me a message on here!

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❌ This is not medical advice, and is for educational purposes only. Any exercises are carried out at your own risk.

26/05/2026

Training in this heat hits differently (it sucks, IMHO)

Pace, power and recovery will all drop faster than normal - and not because you’re suddenly unfit, but because your body is also now working overtime just to self-regulate and stay cool 😎

It sucks (did I mention that?) and it feels like going backwards.

Basically, if you are not conditioned for this heat, you need to make your sessions easier.

Hydrate early, adjust intensity, don’t try to be a hero, and don’t ignore the warning signs of overheating 👍🏼

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🤕 In pain and want that to change? Drop me a message on here!

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⛔ This is not medical advice, and is for educational purposes only. Any exercises are carried out at your own risk.

Anyone in a similar role to mine has heard someone say that they don't exercise because they have a "physical" job.You m...
23/05/2026

Anyone in a similar role to mine has heard someone say that they don't exercise because they have a "physical" job.

You may have someone you know who says the same thing.

However, research shows time and time again that *being active at work is not enough to keep us healthy outside of the workplace*.

In fact, whilst physical activity is associated with positive health outcomes … adverse consequences have been documented for physical activity in the workplace!

This seems to be the case in terms of cardiovascular diseases, work absences due to illness and even mortality from all causes.

Causes are - as always - multifactorial, and include; forced adherence/lack of choice, lack of variation, lack of adjustment, context, pressure, enjoyment (or absence of), and lack of structured recovery.

It's complex 🤷‍♂️

But one thing it shows; exercise is important, even for (especially for?) those in physical professions.

*pictures shows me pretending I have ever done a hard day's graft*

📄 Physical activity paradox: providing evidence-based guidance while closing research gaps, Pronk 2024

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💻 In pain and want that to change? Drop me a message on here!

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⛔ This is not medical advice, and is for educational purposes only. Any exercises are carried out at your own risk.

21/05/2026

“There’s nothing I can do, I just need to rest” 😩

Not only is rest not always best, it’s often not needed at all.

Rumour has it he is still pausing.

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💻 In clinic and remote/online appointments are available, Link in bio 👍🏻

"Staying in one's lane" can sound a bit of an attack, but it's really not. It's acknowledging *your* skillset.It's setti...
19/05/2026

"Staying in one's lane" can sound a bit of an attack, but it's really not.

It's acknowledging *your* skillset.

It's setting out your stall and telling people "...this is what I do, and I am going to excel at it".

It is setting a clear and defined boundary for what you offer.

None of us need to be - or can possibly be - all things to all people.

And when we try to cross lanes, it can get messy through mixed messages to the person in the middle, particularly if it is an area in which we haven't studied, or previously worked, or had experience in.

Of course, all healthcare related positions (including all physical therapists, coaches, Personal Trainers) are Venn-style diagrams that overlap, but we should always focus on the skillset we have, not the one we want people to *think* we have - often simply by omitting to tell people that we are not qualified in that area.

So if you are not a coach, don’t coach.

If you’re not trained in rehab, don’t try to rehab.

If you are not insured to work with injured people, don’t.

If you’re not a physiologist, don’t try to be.

And always be transparent about what you are able to help with.

You are brilliant as you are :)

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💻 In clinic and remote/online appointments are available, Link in bio 👍🏻

“Regression to the Mean" Basically, stuff gets better 🤷‍♂️And whilst there is always an element of variance between indi...
14/05/2026

“Regression to the Mean"

Basically, stuff gets better 🤷‍♂️

And whilst there is always an element of variance between individuals, and healing responses are approximate, the rough timeframes for recovery often hold true for all of us.

Even you!

And so this puts us Therapists in an interesting position when someone appears in certain types of pain: do we recognise this incredible ability to heal (with very little - or even no - intervention), or do we book you in for weeks and weeks, line our pockets, knowing that you will get better with or without the intervention/s?

Therapy and treatment *can* absolutely help speed up recovery - it will almost definitely modify symptoms in the short term - and I am a firm believer in getting an understanding of *why* you are pain from a professional, and learning what *you* can do to *help yourself*, but please don't be fooled into thinking any treatment is a life sentence.

Or that it’s not actually a luxury in some cases.

Much like merely *existing* burns calories, existing is healing, and whilst we can sometimes speed up this process - and whilst I would *always* recommend an assessment- sometimes we can let nature run its course rather than over treating … assuming we are getting advice from the right place 🙌

(And don’t get me started on the relationship between the number of treatments you have and the INCREASE in chronic pain cases … 🤯)

📄 Regression to the mean: what it is and how to deal with it, Barnett et al., 2005

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💻 In clinic and remote/online appointments are available, Link in bio 👍🏻

It’s easy to feel as though your back pain is *your* fault, and a result of something you have – or haven’t – done. You ...
08/05/2026

It’s easy to feel as though your back pain is *your* fault, and a result of something you have – or haven’t – done.

You may even have had a therapist, or surgeon, tell you as much.

Well research suggests that that might not the case …

Back pain, and disc conditions very rarely have a binary, singular cause, with age, physical capability and physical tolerance all being in the melting pot of commonly considered causes.

Unfortunately, genetics can also be a key driver in prevalence of back pain, with some of us seemingly more predisposed to have back pain at some point than others.

The Twin Spine Study found that “the once commonly held view that disc degeneration is primarily a result of aging and "wear and tear" from mechanical insults and injuries was *not* supported by this series of studies.

Instead, disc degeneration appears to be determined in great part by genetic influences.

Although environmental factors also play a role, it is not primarily through routine physical loading exposures (eg, heavy vs. light physical demands) as once suspected.”

So, blame your parents!

Joking aside, it is another reminder that back pain is multifactorial and not a simple cause and/or “fix”.

It should also be a reminder that therapists, coaches, and (some) surgeons should not fear lifting weight just because there is back pain, or history of back pain.

📄 The Twin Spine Study: contributions to a changing view of disc degeneration, Battie et al, 2009

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💻 In clinic and remote/online appointments available

There are a number of reasons why people do not get better, even after seeing a professional. But one reason is definite...
03/05/2026

There are a number of reasons why people do not get better, even after seeing a professional.

But one reason is definitely an inability to be honest with yourself.

Harsh?

Fair?

Harsh but Fair?

In over 15 years of working with people in pain, I would stand by this completely.

I met someone recently who said that - despite the diagnosis - they were not going to action any of the advice given until after their event, 2 weeks later.

And you know what - I totally respect that honesty (this is different from agreeing with it, if course).

What is harder to respect is the athlete who says all the right things, nods politely, but then maxes out their bench press, or does 16 x 400m straight after their appointment, and then questions why things are not improving.

We only want *you* to get better.

For *your* pain to be a thing of the past.

For *your* performance to improve.

You have to want the same.

And so being patient, accountable, and honest to yourself is vital.

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🤕 In pain and want that to change? Drop me a message on here!

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A highly emotive issue, is this 🫣Let’s look at a running shoe perspective, and let’s see what the unbiased, unemotive, n...
28/04/2026

A highly emotive issue, is this 🫣

Let’s look at a running shoe perspective, and let’s see what the unbiased, unemotive, non-financially-rewarding evidence says (I have no affiliation code!);

Pros: What Evidence Shows!

Change of biomechanics & improved economy? Research demonstrates that running in barefoot or minimalist footwear often shifts runners into a forefoot strike pattern, which reduces peak vertical ground reaction forces and redirects loading from knee to ankle - potentially easing knee strain! Some athletes even develop stronger intrinsic foot muscles and stiffer Achilles tendons after transitioning. This is good.

Running efficiency: Studies report slight improvements in oxygen consumption (VO₂), suggesting minimalist running may be up to ~2-4% more efficient. Also nice.

Cons: Risks You Shouldn’t Ignore?

Higher stress on the ankle, Achilles & forefoot: Biomechanical research flags increased Achilles tendon loading, calf strain, metatarsal stress, and forefoot stress fractures in barefoot/minimal planting. This is bad.

Transition injuries are common: Many runners experience calf or Achilles issues, and studies report habituation injuries (particularly bone stress injuries in metatarsals) in minimalist transitions. This is frustrating.

Evidence on injury reduction is inconclusive: A year-long prospective study found barefoot runners had fewer diagnosed injuries per runner- but similar injury rates when accounting for lower mileage. This is probably not acceptable to most runners.

So essentially, you are not necessarily more likely to get injured in a barefoot shoe, but you will more than likely have lower mileage and the same % of injury.

The evidence suggests that injury *type* changes dependent on footwear, but injury *prevalence* is pretty much the same - for less running 🤷‍♂️

📄 Incidence of Running-Related Injuries Per 1000h of running in Different Types of Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Videabak et al, 2015

If you work in health or fitness, this will sound familiar 👇🏼- Clients with pain that just won’t settle- Missed sessions...
11/02/2026

If you work in health or fitness, this will sound familiar 👇🏼

- Clients with pain that just won’t settle
- Missed sessions… or clients quietly disappearing because something hurts
- Wondering “is it safe for them to keep training?”
- Symptoms that don’t match textbooks … or Instagram advice
- Feeling like you’re on your own with tricky cases

For over 15 years I’ve worked alongside PTs, Coaches and massage therapists helping them:

🏋🏼‍♂️ keep clients training (or return them safely)
💪🏼 reduce missed sessions
✅ improve outcomes and retention
🤓 feel confident when cases get complicated

So, I’m offering up something new 🤜🏼

Professional Development & Support for Personal Trainers & Massage Therapists.

This is practical, personalised support to help you help your clients.

There are two ways to work with me:
1️⃣ Ongoing support
🗓️ Monthly sessions (in-person or online)
- Simple explanations of why pain happens
- Joint-by-joint & injury-specific problem solving
- Real client case discussions
- Realistic return-to-training planning

2️⃣ On-demand help
🚨 Ad hoc sessions
- Stuck with a difficult client?
- Want feedback on an assessment or program?
- Need reassurance before trying something new?

Let me know if I can help 👍🏼

Address

Washbourne House Therapy Centre
Wroughton
SN49JU

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 10pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 10pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 10pm
Friday 9:30am - 10pm

Telephone

+447810483005

Website

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