Gym & Strength Training

Top 5 Gym Injuries & How Physiotherapy Can Help You Recover

15 May 2026 - By 365 Physiotherapy Dublin


Why Gym Injuries Happen


Gym injuries are extremely common — even among experienced lifters. Most happen due to poor form, lifting too heavy, overtraining, or skipping warm-ups. At 365 Physiotherapy in Santry and Swords, we see gym injuries every week and help clients return to training safely.




The Top 5 Gym Injuries We Treat


### 1. Shoulder Impingement

Caused by overhead pressing, bench press with poor form, or weak rotator cuff muscles. You may feel pain when lifting your arm above your head or sleeping on your side.


### 2. Lower Back Strain

Common from deadlifts, squats and rows with poor technique. Pain is usually sharp during the lift and stiff the next morning.


### 3. Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Despite the name this happens often in gym-goers from heavy grip work, pull-ups and bicep curls.


### 4. Knee Pain — Patellar Tendinopathy

"Jumper's knee" affects lifters doing squats, lunges and plyometric work. Pain just below the kneecap.


### 5. Hip Flexor Strain

Often happens during heavy squats or leg raises. Causes pain at the front of the hip and difficulty lifting the knee.




How Physiotherapy Helps Gym Injuries


Our senior physiotherapists at 365 Physiotherapy will:


  • Assess your movement patterns — find the root cause
  • Manual therapy — release tight muscles and improve joint mobility
  • Targeted rehab exercises — strengthen weak areas
  • Technique correction — fix lifting form to prevent recurrence
  • Return to training plan — structured, progressive, safe



  • Should You Push Through Gym Pain?


    No. Pushing through pain often turns a 2-week injury into a 3-month one. Early treatment means faster recovery.


    See a physiotherapist if:


  • Pain has lasted more than 1 week
  • Pain is stopping you from training
  • Pain is sharp, sudden, or radiating
  • You feel weakness or instability in the joint



  • Prevention Tips From Our Senior Physios


  • Warm up properly — 10 minutes minimum
  • Use progressive overload — increase weight by 2.5 to 5 percent only
  • Master technique before weight — film your lifts
  • Mobility work — 3 sessions per week minimum
  • Rest days matter — 48 hours between same muscle group sessions



  • Book Your Appointment


    We treat gym-goers and CrossFit athletes at our Santry (Dublin 9) and Swords (Applewood Close) clinics. Evening and weekend appointments available. No GP referral needed.


    📞 +353 83 098 5073

    ☎️ +353 1 513 0603

    📧 contact@365physiotherapy.ie


    Ready to Book Your Appointment?

    Senior physiotherapists in Santry and Swords. Evening and weekend appointments. No GP referral needed.