Assessment
A detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a plan agreed with you, not handed to you.
What We Treat
Martial Arts Injury Treatment in London
Grappling and striking load the body in very different ways, from the shoulder, knee, neck and fingers of BJJ and MMA to the hand, wrist and ribs of boxing and Muay Thai. Our team rebuilds the strength and control your discipline demands, for a confident, criteria-based return to the mats or the ring.
Book Online
- Self-referral; no GP letter needed.
Overview
Understanding martial arts injuries
Martial arts injuries divide along the demands of the discipline, so what gets hurt depends on how you train. The pattern splits in two:
- Grappling sports: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling and MMA ground work load the shoulder, elbow, knee, neck and fingers through joint locks, scrambles and sustained holds, and finger and hand injuries are especially common in BJJ.
- Striking arts: boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing load the hand and wrist, shoulder, and the rib cage and shins through impact.
Some injuries are acute, from a single forced movement or impact. Others are overuse problems where training volume has outpaced tissue capacity. Either way, assessment starts with an accurate diagnosis and a frank picture of how much the injured area can currently take, then a progressive, graded loading plan rebuilds strength, control and sport-specific tolerance: grip and wrist load for grapplers and strikers alike, shoulder and neck control for both.
We judge readiness using criteria-based return-to-play, in line with the BJSM 2016 Bern consensus on return to sport: restored strength, limb symmetry and sport-specific function, not simply how an injury feels. We are also concussion-aware in the striking arts: a suspected concussion is removed from training and managed through a graduated, medically guided return, and we never rush this.
Excellent
From 6 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
David helped me when I started to have a strong tibia pain only 5 weeks before the marathon. I genuinely thought at some point that I wasn’t going to be able to do it and I did my PB!
After suffering with terrible back pain, Gus has helped me make huge improvements. Very professional and happy to explain the processes and treatments. Many thanks
Couldn’t recommend this physio team enough! They helped me recover from a knee injury 3 weeks before the London Marathon which I thought was going to prevent me from running it! Everyone was really friendly, supportive and genuinely cared about helping me reach my goal. Special thanks to Charlie, Gus, Brad and Stef!
I came to Dave with an ongoing injury that I’ve been struggling with for months! He helped sort it out straight away, also giving me some exercises to help target the area to get back to full strength. I’m now back to running pain-free already and training properly — I’ll definitely be recommending Kaizen Physiotherapy to my clients!
Gus worked miracles to get me running a marathon after being injured 6 weeks out. He worked out the issue really quickly and provided a clear and actionable plan to deal with it. The sports massages were the best I’ve ever had too — thanks Peggy! Can’t recommend Gus and Peggy enough.
I had such a positive experience working with Brad at Kaizen. He supported me through a meniscus tear and got me all the way back to running a half marathon and HYROX training. Everything was structured, progressive, and easy to follow, and I always felt like I was in safe hands.
Physiotherapy for martial artists can help to:
Understand the demands of your discipline
Grappling loads the shoulder, elbow, knee, neck and fingers through locks, scrambles and sustained holds, while striking loads the hand, wrist, ribs and shins through impact. Assessment starts with your art's specific demands and what the injured tissue can currently tolerate.
Rehabilitate shoulders and knees
Joint locks and scrambles force shoulders and knees to their limits. We rebuild range, strength and control with graded loading, staging the return from solo drilling to positional work to live rounds, so each step is earned before the next.
Fix hands, wrists and fingers
Finger and hand injuries are especially common in BJJ, and hand and wrist problems shadow every striking art. Our hand therapist provides splinting and graded rehabilitation that restores grip strength for gi work, clinching and heavy bag sessions.
Rebuild the neck and trunk
Neck control matters to grapplers and strikers alike, and rib injuries need patient, staged loading before contact returns. We strengthen the neck and trunk progressively so posturing, framing and absorbing impact stop aggravating the injury.
Manage training volume around injury
Many martial arts injuries are overuse problems where mat time outpaced tissue capacity. We adjust training volume rather than removing you from the gym wholesale, keeping technique sharp while the overloaded tissue rebuilds at a load it can handle.
Return you to the mats on criteria
Readiness is judged with criteria-based markers, in line with the BJSM Bern consensus: restored strength, symmetry and sport-specific function. Sparring and competition come back in stages, so the first hard round is a test you have already passed.
Why it happens
What causes martial arts injuries?
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Joint locks, scrambles and sustained grappling holds straining the shoulder, elbow, knee and fingers
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Striking impact loading the hand, wrist, shoulder, ribs and shins
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Forced twisting or hyperextension during takedowns, sweeps and submissions
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Cumulative overuse, where training volume or sparring intensity rises faster than tissue can adapt
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Returning to sparring or rolling too soon after a previous injury, leaving residual weakness
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Inadequate warm-up, recovery or sleep, lowering the tissue's tolerance to load
At your first appointment we work out what is really holding you back, then agree the plan with you before you leave.
Your initial visit runs 45–60 minutes: a detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis together.
Treatment starts the same day, and you leave with the first exercises of a plan built around your goal.
Better than yesterday. Kaizen means continuous improvement: small, repeatable gains, built session by session, until you are back to what you love and no longer need us.
- One team across five London clinics: Soho, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Canary Wharf and Wimbledon Village, plus online appointments.
- Rated 5.0 on Google across 218 reviews.
- Founded in 2022 by David Thomas and Gus Hadonou. You see the same physiotherapist at every visit, so each session builds on the last.
Fees and insurance
Book online through Jane and self-refer, with no GP letter needed. If you are using private health insurance, check your policy first: some insurers ask for a GP referral before your first session.
- Initial assessment and treatment: £155 for a full 45–60 minutes
- Follow-up treatment: £93, with your plan progressed at each visit
- Sports massage: £115 for 60 minutes, £155 for 90 minutes
- Performance MOT & Screening: £300 for a 90-minute screen with force-plate testing and a written report
- Recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Cigna, WPA and Allianz
Your journey
with Kaizen
Everything starts with a proper assessment. We find what is driving the problem, treat it, and build the strength that keeps it fixed, so you finish performing, not just pain-free.
Treatment
Hands-on care to settle symptoms and restore movement: manual therapy, with acupuncture, shockwave or soft-tissue work where they genuinely help. The first home exercises go with you the same day.
Rebuild
Progressive exercise that returns strength, control and load tolerance, from Reformer Pilates to strength and conditioning. Each follow-up reassesses against your baseline, so progress is measured rather than guessed.
Perform
Criteria-based milestones return you to work, sport and training. Discharge happens by mutual agreement once you can manage independently, with a Performance MOT available to catch the next weak link early.
We specialise in:
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Western medical acupuncture (AACP)
- Physiotherapy-led Reformer Pilates
- Specialist hand therapy and splinting
- Shockwave therapy for stubborn tendons
- Strength and conditioning for rehabilitation
- Running and gait analysis
- Performance MOT and movement screening
Treatment approach
How do we treat martial arts injuries?
Sports Physiotherapy
Sports physiotherapy is the core treatment for almost every martial arts injury: accurate diagnosis, graded loading and sport-specific rebuilding of grip, shoulder and neck control, with readiness judged against criteria-based return-to-play markers rather than how an injury feels.
See treatment detail →Hand Therapy
Hand therapy is well suited to the finger, thumb and wrist injuries common in grappling and striking, including sprains, pulley and ligament injuries, and stiffness, restoring grip and load tolerance for rolling, gripping and punching.
See treatment detail →Strength & Conditioning
Structured strength and conditioning rebuilds the grip, shoulder, neck and trunk capacity that protects against grappling and striking loads, and underpins the later stages of rehab where progressive loading restores confidence on the mats or in the ring.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
I've jammed a finger rolling. Should I just tape it?
Tape can support a minor finger sprain, but persistent swelling, an inability to bend or straighten, or pain over a pulley or joint deserves assessment. BJJ finger injuries are common and often undertreated, and an accurate diagnosis guides whether you keep training modified or rest a structure to let it settle. Hand therapy restores grip and load tolerance.
Can I keep training while I rehab an injury?
Usually yes, in a modified form. Complete rest is rarely the answer, because loading the injured tissue safely supports recovery better than stopping altogether. We often keep grapplers drilling or strikers working unaffected areas while a specific injury settles, then stage a return to live rolling or sparring. Your physiotherapist will tell you what to modify or pause.
I got caught with a clean shot. When can I spar again?
If a concussion is suspected you must stop and not spar the same day. Recovery follows a graduated, symptom-led return, progressing one stage at a time under medical guidance, in line with UK concussion guidance. We never rush this; head injury is managed conservatively and medically first, before any return to contact sparring.
When should I seek urgent help for a martial arts injury?
Seek urgent help if a joint looks deformed, you cannot bear weight or move it, there is numbness or a cold, pale limb, or any loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, worsening headache or confusion after a head shot. Call 999 for these. Contact NHS 111 for severe pain or swelling that does not settle with a few days of self-care.
Related What We Treat
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Kaizen Physiotherapy & Performance • 111 Charing Cross Road, Soho, London WC2H 0DT
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks