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.

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

Don't Believe The Hype.Social Media can be terrifying, with it's long list of things which we are told are causing your ...
23/04/2026

Don't Believe The Hype.

Social Media can be terrifying, with it's long list of things which we are told are causing your pain.

DoN't SiT lIkE tHaT!

DoN't RuN lIkE tHaT!

DoN't SLeeeP ThaaaaaaT wAy!!!!!

Even the way you breathe is now being dissected.

SiGh.

It doesn't leave much room to, y'know, actually have a bit of a life.

Luckily, most of these posts telling us we need to 'correct' these things are more aligned to marketing than healthcare - if we can convince you there is a "correct" way to do these things, then there surely must be an "incorrect" way
.. and let's be honest you have probably been breathing "wrong" your whole life, even if you have only had pain for 2 weeks ...🤡

Don't believe the hype

(And don't even get me started on physical therapists trying to correct eye sight and gut biome 👀)

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

Patellar tendinopathy is pain at the front of the knee, often just below the kneecap.It is generally a condition of the ...
19/04/2026

Patellar tendinopathy is pain at the front of the knee, often just below the kneecap.

It is generally a condition of the fit and active, and pain is aggravated by loading and an increase in activities that store and release energy in the patellar tendon.

There are a few things which can help ease the symptoms of Patellar Tendinopathies - but do you wanna know the one thing I do with them all?

Get them stronger and more tolerant to that load 👇🏼

📄 Effectiveness of progressive tendon-loading exercise therapy in patients with patellar tendinopathy: a randomised clinical trial, Breda et al.

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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.

Do you ‘activate’ your glutes before exercising?...if so, why?Or rather, why *don’t* you ‘activate’ your adductors befor...
16/04/2026

Do you ‘activate’ your glutes before exercising?
...if so, why?

Or rather, why *don’t* you ‘activate’ your adductors before squatting? (for they have highest muscle activation during full, deep squats)

📄 Relative Muscle Contributions to Net Joint Moments in the Barbell Back Squat, Vigotsky & Bryanton, 2016

Why *don’t* you ‘activate’ your erector spinae and quads before deadlifting?

📄 Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review, Martin-Fuetnes et al., 2020

Why *don’t* you ‘activate’ your hamstrings and calf complex before running?

📄 Muscular strategy shift in human running: dependence of running speed on hip and ankle muscle performance, Dorn et al, 2012

Nothing is straightforward, and nothing works in isolation.

But the poor ol’ glutes get a lot of stick, for a lot of laziness, for a lot of issues, that they don’t actually contribute greatly to.

Of course, muscles can always work optimally to the tasks being performed, and we can always strengthen where needed, and when trained appropriately.

Similarly, warming up for the upcoming task makes good sense.

But ‘activating’ one muscle group is largely irrelevant, and time-consuming when you could be being more productive 👍🏼

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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.

A quick bit of basic anatomy; The Iliotibial band is a thick, non-contractile tissue which runs from your glute muscle (...
12/04/2026

A quick bit of basic anatomy; The Iliotibial band is a thick, non-contractile tissue which runs from your glute muscle (your butt!), along the outside of your thigh to the top of the shin bone, just below and to the outside of the kneecap inserting at Gerdy's Tubercle (probably my favourite bony prominence, if you're asking 🤷🏼‍♂️).

People will often tell me of their “tight” I.T.B, and I usually reply “thank F---”, as it’s job is stabilizing the knee, and assisting straightening the knee.

In fact, I will happily publicly state I have never seen a floppy iliotibial band 🙂

However, it can become problematic.

But fear not! There are plenty of things we can do to speed up recovery.

And none of them include a foam roller 💪🏼

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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.

You may not be aware that in my ongoing efforts to become a carbon neutral business, for the past 5-years for each purch...
01/04/2026

You may not be aware that in my ongoing efforts to become a carbon neutral business, for the past 5-years for each purchase of any of my ONLINE options, I have invested in

I offer online appointments, online programming, online self-help courses, and online professional support to PTs, Coaches and Therapists.

So if any of you have used those services, you should know that some of your money goes toward planting trees, protecting rainforest, repairing vital water boreholes and building sustainable solar power plants.

So thank you ☺️

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

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On Friday I put something on my Story about the sudden, extreme increase in Business Rates, and I just wanted to say tha...
23/03/2026

On Friday I put something on my Story about the sudden, extreme increase in Business Rates, and I just wanted to say thank you for all the kind messages that came in over the weekend. I was simply unable to respond individually to them all.

It was pretty overwhelming, and I am not sure that I have ever had such a response to anything, ever, as so many of you were as shocked as I was about how these things are handled, and how powerless everyone is.

And so many Small Businesses I have spoken to are in the same situation, if not far worse than ours and - as I said on my ‘story’ - it genuinely wasn’t meant to be a sob story, it was purely to highlight why so many small businesses will inevitably, probably silently, disappear on this current trajectory.

I stand by what I said; I can not be convinced that any government genuinely wants small businesses to thrive, when they are making it almost impossible for so many to survive.

We are not all in the same boat.

We are all in the same storm.

But, I still have hope that we at Washbourne House Therapy Centre can find a way through this storm.

(Until the next one ... 🫠)

So thanks again for all of your support.

And to repeat, support doesn’t start and end at spending money with us - Liking, Sharing, Tagging people who may not know of us, or who may benefit from something we do; simply interacting with us every now and then (not on everything - don’t want it to be weird 😜) goes a long way in this modern world.

You know where we are, and hopefully we can be here for a long time to come ☺️

Money is an important factor when you are in pain.It can be a huge barrier for some in getting better, and one that we n...
12/03/2026

Money is an important factor when you are in pain.

It can be a huge barrier for some in getting better, and one that we need to acknowledge.

Whilst I appreciate that this is an industry that doesn’t feel cheap at first glance, I promise to you that I understand this and will never abuse that.

I will always aim to get rid of you* as quickly as possible, and will never allow us to fall in the (money) pit-falls that are out there.

My advice would be to spend some time throughly researching the clinic or therapist who has caught your attention; to be nervous of “introductory offers”; and, finally, to be wary of the false-economy approach, where the single product (treatment?) is cheap, but forever ongoing.

Everything I do is confidential, and if money is a barrier for you, my DMs are always open, and always non-judgmental, and I will always help where I can.

*in the nicest possible sense

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

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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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