Heidi Dawson

Heidi Dawson is a graduate sports rehabilitator based in the United Kingdom. She runs two successful sports injury clinics and the injury website Rehab4Runners.

Articles by Heidi Dawson

• Updates on treatment for IT band syndrome

  IT band syndrome is the most common cause of lateral knee pain in runners and accounts for up to 14%…

  Friday, September 13, 2019

• Tips for keeping cool when the running gets hot

  Here are some top tips for running when the temperature starts to rise. For example, carefully think…

  Thursday, August 01, 2019

• The other Achilles tendinopathy

  When we discuss Achilles tendinopathies, we are very likely talking about mid-portion Achilles tendinopathies.…

  Wednesday, July 03, 2019

• ‘PEACE’ and ‘LOVE’ replace outdated soft tissue injury protocols

  When it comes to soft tissue injury treatment, you have most likely have heard of RICE; standing for…

  Thursday, May 30, 2019

• Gluteal tendinopathy: How do the treatment options compare?

  Gluteal tendinopathy is the most common cause of lateral hip pain. Until recently, the source of pain…

  Tuesday, May 07, 2019

• The newest developments for hamstring injury prevention in soccer

  The most common soccer injury for professionals is to the hamstrings. But with an ever-increasing volume…

  Friday, March 29, 2019

• Top exercises for glute activation

  As a physical therapist, I see and treat people whose glutes are not working as they should on a daily…

  Thursday, February 28, 2019

• How to stick to a New Year’s exercise resolution

  It’s January, and to many people that means a fresh start, turning over a new leaf, breaking bad habits…

  Wednesday, January 09, 2019

• Top 5 perks of being a physical therapist

  Some people are fortunate enough to love their jobs. I think that most physical therapists would fall…

  Wednesday, December 19, 2018

• 5 tips to get repeat client visits

  A big problem for new therapists, those starting out on their own, or those starting back up after a…

  Tuesday, December 04, 2018

• 5 free marketing strategies for small physical therapy clinics

  As a small business owner, you know that money can be tight, especially when just starting out. You have…

  Friday, November 02, 2018

• 5 key pieces of rehab equipment for a small or mobile clinic

  There is so much equipment available now for rehabilitation therapists. This ranges from inexpensive,…

  Friday, October 12, 2018

• Why everyone should sign up for a physical challenge at least once

  We all know one of those people who seem to always be entering this race, that event and undertaking…

  Friday, September 21, 2018

• The top new technologies in sports medicine

  Orthopedics This Week, the most widely read publication in the orthopedics industry, recently announced…

  Thursday, August 16, 2018

• How to recover from running a marathon

  The past few weeks have seen some major marathons take place on the international racing scene. The London…

  Wednesday, May 02, 2018

• How to get your clients to do their exercises

  There is probably nothing more frustrating to a physical therapist than a client who doesn't do the rehabilitation…

  Wednesday, April 04, 2018

• Treadmill vs. road: Which is better?

  We each have our favorite, but should we all be slogging away on the treadmill or braving the roads to…

  Tuesday, March 20, 2018

• Has RICE finally been laid to rest?

  ​RICE is the injury protocol everyone remembers: rest, ice, compression and elevation. It's been used…

  Friday, February 23, 2018

• Peroneal tendinopathy: Everything you need to know

  With marathon season quickly approaching, many runners' training plans are now starting to increase in…

  Thursday, February 01, 2018

• UCL injuries, surgery and rehab among pitchers

  Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries are the most common reason for baseball pitchers to be out of…

  Tuesday, January 09, 2018

• First aid for winter’s slips and trips

  Winter has truly arrived. Just ask anyone living on the East Coast who is dealing with the "​bomb cyclone."…

  Thursday, January 04, 2018

• Top 5 things to do if you suffer lower leg pain when running

  Pain and muscle tension in the calves and shins is one of the most common problems I see in runners.…

  Thursday, December 14, 2017

• What is the right course of rehab after total knee replacement?

  Osteoarthritis of the knee is an extremely common complaint. In fact, it is the most common joint disorder…

  Tuesday, December 05, 2017

• The low-down on skiing injuries: Frequency, type and prevention

  Just where has 2017 gone? We're rapidly hurtling toward the holiday season and with that, many people…

  Wednesday, November 15, 2017

• So you have a sports injury? Here’s what you need to eat

  ​For athletes and regular exercisers of all types, injuries can seem like the end of the world. When…

  Wednesday, November 01, 2017

• Prescription painkillers vs. physical therapy

  According to a recent survey, 78 percent of Americans prefer to find an alternative form of treatment…

  Friday, October 06, 2017

• 4 reasons to include medical acupuncture in your arsenal

  Medical (Western) acupuncture, aka dry needling, is a rapidly growing field. While acupuncture in its…

  Thursday, September 07, 2017

• How to explain medical acupuncture to your clients

  Medical acupuncture, also known as dry needling, is a widely used treatment in the physical therapy field.…

  Monday, August 21, 2017

• My glute story: Why you should train your butt

  I see people on a weekly basis with a range of injuries that are due, at least in part, to their weak,…

  Thursday, June 29, 2017

• 6 back pain myths busted

  While everyone knows someone with a "bad back," it seems that many people aren't up to date on their…

  Thursday, May 25, 2017

• Why do my joints crack?

  Cracking, popping and clicking joints are a common sound to most people. Some experience this noisiness…

  Thursday, March 23, 2017

• New guidelines on lower back pain from a therapist’s point of view

  Last week, the American College of Physicians updated its guidelines on the treatment of patients with…

  Monday, February 20, 2017

• 5 injury prevention tips for New Year’s exercisers

  January is that time of year again when many of us decide we should be a bit healthier. Most people committing…

  Friday, January 13, 2017

• The sports injury glossary

  The world of sports injuries can be a confusing one for those not in the know. There are so many terms…

  Tuesday, December 06, 2016

• Tennis elbow: What’s in a name?

  Most people will know the condition lateral epicondylitis by its more common name: "tennis elbow." This…

  Monday, November 21, 2016

• Cupping, massage and hot tubs? Breaking down alternative therapies in Rio

  Alternative therapies hit the news during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Athletes…

  Friday, August 26, 2016

• Are your hamstrings really tight?

  "My hamstring muscles are so tight so I stretch them every day, but I don't see any change" is a phrase…

  Thursday, August 04, 2016

• Kinesio taping for sceptics: Latest research

  Back in December 2013, I wrote a piece on the craze that is kinesiology taping (you can read it here).…

  Thursday, May 12, 2016

• 8 steps to start running safely

  This is the time of year when many people decide to take up running. The weather is starting to improve,…

  Tuesday, April 26, 2016

• Treating knee osteoarthritis in younger adults

  ​Osteoarthritis (OA) is the "degeneration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone, most common from…

  Friday, March 04, 2016

• The low down on foam rolling

  Foam rollers have been around for a while now and have become a permanent feature in the weekly routines…

  Monday, February 22, 2016

• Running gait analysis: Not just about the feet

  When you hear the words "running gait analysis," what do you think of? Most people will envision running…

  Monday, December 07, 2015

• A closer look at the latest treatments for frozen shoulder

  ​Adhesive capsulitis (more commonly known as "frozen shoulder") is a condition causing initial pain…

  Thursday, November 12, 2015

• Separating fact from fiction in knee pain

  There is a lot of myth, rumor, misconception and just plain bad information available on the topic of…

  Thursday, October 15, 2015

• Piriformis syndrome: A royal pain in the butt

  Have you ever had a tight twinge of a pain deep in your butt muscles? And maybe "sciatic" pain that radiates…

  Wednesday, September 09, 2015

• When the big toe becomes a big problem

  The big toe joint. Also known as the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ). It's not something most…

  Friday, July 24, 2015

• Best exercises for gluteus medius strengthening

  The gluteus medius is a key stabilizer muscle of the hip joint, which acts to abduct and both externally…

  Thursday, June 25, 2015

• Those extra lace holes: What’s all the fuss about?

  A video recently went viral across various social media platforms. It claims to "finally" show us what…

  Tuesday, May 26, 2015

• Simplifying neck assessment for massage therapists

  The cervical (Cx) spine is a complex area and is often seen as intimidating by therapists of all levels,…

  Thursday, April 30, 2015

• What about those ‘other’ running injuries?

  ​Most runners will experience an injury at some point in their running career. If you don't, you're…

  Friday, March 20, 2015

• Why I won’t feel bullied into quitting soft‑tissue therapy

  ​Soft-tissue techniques such as massage therapy, myofascial release, trigger pointing and dry needling…

  Friday, January 23, 2015

• Tight calf muscles: The Achilles’ heel of new runners

  Tight, painful and crampy calf muscles are a problem that will affect the majority of runners at some…

  Tuesday, December 16, 2014

• The top 5 exercises you should be doing

  Few of us perform exercises regularly with the aim of preventing pain or injury. In fact, few of us perform…

  Tuesday, November 18, 2014

• The importance of hip internal rotation

  Hip joint internal rotation (sometimes also called medial rotation) occurs when the femur rotates within…

  Wednesday, October 29, 2014

• Should passive physical agents be eliminated under new APTA guidelines?

  New guidelines for physical therapists and their patients were published recently under the "Choosing…

  Thursday, September 25, 2014

• The ‘humerus’ side of being a physical therapist

  Having been practicing in the field of sports injury rehabilitation for the last nine years, I've spoken…

  Friday, August 29, 2014

• Anterior knee pain: Specificity is the key

  Pain at the front of the knee joint is a very common complaint, with estimates that 1 in 4 adults will…

  Thursday, August 07, 2014

• Massage for neck pain: Is dosage the key?

  ​Massage therapy has been used in many forms for centuries to treat musculoskeletal pain. In our current…

  Friday, July 18, 2014

• The anatomy and movement patterns of shoulder impingement syndrome

  Shoulder pain is a common problem. In fact, around 30 percent of us will experience it at some point…

  Friday, June 13, 2014

• Getting the most out of a sports massage

  ​Sports massage is a popular treatment method used by runners and many other athletes, both before…

  Thursday, May 29, 2014

• The tendinopathy continuum: An update on degenerative Achilles tendon injuries

  We've learned a lot about the Achilles tendon in the last 20 years. Gone are the days when the sight…

  Thursday, May 08, 2014

• Runners: Why failing to prepare is preparing to fail

  There are numerous reasons why runners often don't take the time to warm up properly before they set…

  Wednesday, April 02, 2014

• Managing the injured runner

  Runners are a notoriously difficult "breed" to handle for the physical therapist. In fact, a colleague…

  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

• Pectoralis minor: Far from a minor problem

  Pectoralis minor is the smaller sibling of the larger and more talked about pectoralis (pec) major. But…

  Tuesday, February 04, 2014

• Kinesio taping for skeptics

  Kinesio tape, or myofascial tape, has really exploded in popularity in the last five years. It has actually…

  Tuesday, December 17, 2013

• 10 tips to help your clients help themselves

  Successful treatment of an injury or pain condition comes down to a working partnership between the therapist…

  Friday, December 06, 2013

• No-shows: The bane of a therapist’s existence

  I regularly have conversations with reliable clients, therapists and friends about the best way to tackle…

  Thursday, November 21, 2013

• Protecting young knees from injury associated with exercise

  Knee pain is something that is too often associated with just the older population. But knee pain is…

  Thursday, November 14, 2013

• PFPS: High-intensity exercises shown most effective in rehab

  The latest recommendations from new research regarding the rehabilitation of patellofemoral pain syndrome…

  Wednesday, November 06, 2013

• 10 commandments of injury prevention

  Injury prevention strategies are big business in professional sports. This is due to the cost in terms…

  Thursday, October 24, 2013

• Top 5 running injury myths

  There are so many rumors and myths in running that are either not backed up by science or proven to be…

  Thursday, October 10, 2013

• The rise of the artificial disc

  A degenerative intervertebral disc is the most common diagnosis in cases of chronic lumbar pain. Constant…

  Wednesday, September 25, 2013

• Adopting a multidimensional individualized approach to plantar fasciitis treatment

  Plantar fasciitis is thought to affect around 10 percent of people at some point in their lifetime.

  Thursday, September 12, 2013