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It’s almost always the same story. The first few steps out of bed feel like standing on a stone bruise, right under the heel. It eases off after a few minutes of walking, so it gets ignored, until it comes back the next morning, and the one after that, and eventually starts showing up mid-run too.

That pattern, sharp heel pain first thing in the morning that eases with movement then returns with load, is the hallmark of plantar fasciitis. It’s one of the most common complaints among runners, and one of the most frustrating, because it tends to respond slowly and comes back if the underlying cause isn’t addressed.

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue running along the bottom of the foot, from the heel to the base of the toes. It supports the arch and absorbs a huge amount of load every time a foot strikes the ground. In runners, repeated impact can outpace the tissue’s ability to recover, leading to irritation, microtears, and eventually a change in the tissue itself.

What actually causes plantar fasciitis in runners?

It’s rarely one single thing. Usually it’s a combination of factors that overload the fascia beyond what it can handle:

• A sudden jump in weekly mileage or a switch to more intense speed work
• Weak calf muscles and reduced ankle flexibility, which shifts more strain onto the arch
• Tight calves and Achilles tendons limiting how the ankle moves through each stride
• Worn out or unsupportive footwear
• Running on hard surfaces for long stretches, common on Dubai’s pavements and boardwalks
• Higher body weight or a change in training surface without an adjustment period

Poor foot mechanics, such as an arch that collapses too much or too little during the stride, also play a role, though they’re rarely the whole story on their own.

Why does the pain seem to improve then come back?

The fascia tightens overnight while the foot rests, so those first steps stretch tissue that hasn’t moved in hours, which is why the pain is sharpest then. As you walk, it warms up and the pain eases, which tricks a lot of runners into thinking it’s resolving. Then a run reloads the already irritated tissue and the cycle resets. This on-off pattern is exactly why plantar fasciitis tends to drag on for months when it’s only being stretched or iced rather than properly assessed and treated.

How is plantar fasciitis actually treated?

Rest alone rarely fixes it, and neither does simply switching shoes. Effective treatment usually combines several elements working together over a number of weeks:

• Manual therapy to release tension in the calf, Achilles and the fascia itself
• A specific loading and strengthening programme for the calf and foot, which research consistently shows outperforms passive treatment alone
• Addressing ankle stiffness so load is shared properly through the whole lower leg
• Temporary adjustments to training volume and surfaces while the tissue settles
• Taping or footwear advice as a short-term support, not a long-term fix

A physiotherapist carrying out a sports physiotherapy assessment on a runner with plantar fasciitis will usually look well beyond the heel itself, checking hip and glute strength, running mechanics, and calf flexibility, because the heel is often the site of the pain but not the whole cause.

Can you keep running with plantar fasciitis?

Sometimes, in a modified way. It depends on how irritated the tissue is and how it responds to load. Complete rest is rarely necessary and can lead to deconditioning that makes the eventual return to running harder. A physiotherapist can usually guide a runner through which sessions to keep, which to swap for cross-training, and when it’s safe to build volume back up.

How long does plantar fasciitis take to resolve?

Mild cases can settle in four to six weeks with the right approach. More established cases, especially ones that have been running through pain for months, can take three to six months of consistent rehab. The timeline depends heavily on how early it’s addressed and how consistently the loading programme is followed.

Frequently asked questions

Why is plantar fasciitis pain worse in the morning?

The fascia tightens overnight, so the first steps after rest stretch it suddenly, which produces the sharp pain. It usually eases as the tissue warms up through movement.

Are orthotics necessary for plantar fasciitis?

Not always. They can help some runners as a short-term support, but strengthening the calf and foot tends to matter more for long-term resolution.

Can I still run a race while managing plantar fasciitis?

It depends on severity and how well it responds to load. A physiotherapist can advise on whether to run through it, modify training, or take time off before a specific event.

Does stretching alone fix plantar fasciitis?

Stretching helps but rarely resolves it on its own. Combining it with progressive strengthening gives far better and more lasting results.

Will plantar fasciitis come back after it heals?

It can, particularly if the original contributing factors, like calf tightness or a sudden jump in training load, aren’t addressed alongside the pain itself.

If mornings keep starting with that same sharp step, it’s worth getting it properly assessed rather than waiting it out. You can book a session here.

The serve is usually the first thing to go. A player can rally all day without discomfort, but the overhead motion of the serve, especially at the top of the toss and through contact, starts producing a deep ache at the front or back of the shoulder. Some describe it as pinching, others as a dull soreness that lingers the next morning.

Tennis places enormous demand on the shoulder. A serve can involve internal rotation speeds among the fastest of any movement in sport, and that speed has to be generated and then decelerated by a relatively small set of muscles. When those muscles cannot keep up with the demand, or when the shoulder blade is not moving well, pain tends to follow.

What structures are usually involved?

Most tennis-related shoulder pain falls into a few recognisable patterns rather than one single injury.

• Rotator cuff irritation, particularly the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons, from repeated overhead loading
• Internal impingement, where structures at the back of the shoulder get pinched during the late cocking phase of the serve
• Labral irritation, especially in players who have served for many years and built up repetitive microtrauma
• Scapular dyskinesis, a fancy way of saying the shoulder blade is not moving efficiently, forcing other structures to work harder

These often overlap. A shoulder blade that sits and moves poorly changes how the ball and socket joint tracks, which increases stress on the rotator cuff and can eventually irritate the labrum too.

Why does it show up on serve day specifically?

The serve asks more of the shoulder than any other tennis stroke because it combines a full overhead reach, maximum rotation speed, and a hard deceleration all in about half a second. Groundstrokes are demanding, but they rarely push the shoulder into the same end-range positions repeatedly. Add a big service game, a tournament with back-to-back matches, or simply months of playing without any strength work outside of tennis, and the tissues around the shoulder start to fall behind the demand being placed on them.

How is it assessed?

A physiotherapist will look at more than just the shoulder joint itself. Range of motion, particularly internal rotation, is compared side to side, since many tennis players develop a deficit on the dominant arm that increases injury risk if left unaddressed. Scapular movement is watched during an arm raise, rotator cuff and deltoid strength are tested, and the story of when pain appears during the serve, at the top of the toss, at contact, or on follow-through, helps narrow down which structures are most likely involved. Imaging is not usually needed early on, though it can be useful if pain is severe or has lasted several months.

What does treatment look like?

• Restoring shoulder mobility, especially internal rotation and the ability of the shoulder blade to rotate upward smoothly
• Strengthening the rotator cuff and scapular muscles, which usually need targeted work beyond what tennis itself provides
• Manual therapy to reduce stiffness in the joint capsule and surrounding soft tissue
• Serve mechanics review, since a low toss, poor trunk rotation, or an overreliance on the arm rather than the legs and core all increase shoulder load
• A graded return to serving, building volume back up rather than going straight from rehab into a full match

Most players notice their shoulder tolerating serves better within several weeks of consistent strengthening work, though the timeline depends on how long symptoms have been present and how much the mechanics need adjusting.

Can this be prevented?

A lot of shoulder problems in tennis players come down to an imbalance between how much the shoulder is used and how much it is strengthened outside of play. Building rotator cuff and scapular strength two to three times a week, keeping an eye on internal rotation range, and not ignoring early pinching sensations before they become persistent pain all reduce the risk significantly.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my shoulder only hurt on serves, not groundstrokes?

The serve places the shoulder into more extreme rotation and overhead positions than any other stroke, so it tends to expose weaknesses or restrictions that groundstrokes do not.

Should I stop serving completely if my shoulder hurts?

Not always. Many players can reduce serve volume and intensity while working on the underlying issue, rather than stopping entirely, though a physiotherapist can advise based on how irritable the shoulder is.

Is this the same as a rotator cuff tear?

Not necessarily. Many cases are tendon irritation or movement dysfunction rather than a structural tear, though persistent or severe pain should be properly assessed to rule this out.

How long does shoulder rehab usually take for tennis players?

Many players feel noticeable improvement within four to six weeks of consistent strengthening and mobility work, with full return to competitive serving sometimes taking longer.

Does age make this more likely?

Cumulative loading over years does increase the likelihood of tendon and labral changes, but plenty of older players serve pain-free when strength and mobility are maintained.

If your serve is being held back by shoulder pain, it is worth getting it looked at properly rather than just playing through it. A sports physiotherapist in Dubai experienced with overhead athletes can identify what is driving the pain and build a plan to get your serve back. You can book a session here.

Padel has exploded across Dubai in the last few years, new courts keep opening from DIFC to Dubai Sports City, and with more people on court several nights a week, physiotherapy clinics are seeing a steady stream of the same handful of injuries. Padel looks lower impact than tennis or squash, four players, a smaller court, a lot of laughing between points, but the stop-start movement, the glass walls and the constant overhead swinging put real strain on the body.

Understanding what tends to go wrong, and why, makes it much easier to catch a problem early rather than push through it for three more weeks until it turns into something that needs proper rehab.

What are the most common padel injuries?

A few conditions come up again and again in players of all levels.

• Padel elbow, an overuse injury of the tendons on the outside of the elbow, brought on by the racket’s rigid, stringless construction and repeated gripping through volleys
• Shoulder pain, usually from repeated overhead smashes and serves that overload the rotator cuff
• Lower back pain, often linked to the rotational, twisting nature of the smash and quick lateral lunges
• Ankle sprains, typically from sudden direction changes or stepping awkwardly near the glass
• Knee pain, especially around the kneecap, from repeated lunging and pivoting on a hard court surface
• Wrist strain, from mistimed volleys or defensive shots played with a stiff wrist
• Calf and Achilles strains, common in players who go from a sedentary desk job straight into a fast match without warming up

Why does padel cause so many overuse injuries specifically?

Unlike a single hard collision injury, most padel problems build up gradually. The sport asks the body to repeat the same explosive movements, smash, lunge, sprint to the glass, over and over across a match, and then again two or three times a week. Add a rigid racket, a hard playing surface, and matches that often start with little to no warm-up because everyone is squeezing padel in after work, and small overloads accumulate into real problems.

Dubai’s climate plays a role too. Evening matches in high heat and humidity mean players lose fluid quickly, tire faster than they realise, and their technique starts to break down in the final games, which is exactly when injuries tend to happen.

How are these injuries usually treated?

Treatment depends on the tissue involved, but the general approach for most padel injuries follows a similar pattern. In the first few days, calming down pain and swelling matters most. After that, the focus shifts to restoring full movement, then rebuilding strength and control in the specific positions padel demands, deep lunges, rotational power, overhead reach.

A physiotherapist in Dubai will usually combine hands-on treatment with a progressive exercise programme, and for anything involving the shoulder, elbow or knee, will also look at technique on court, because a repetitive strain injury that gets treated but never addressed at the source tends to come straight back.

When should you actually see someone?

• Pain that lasts more than a week without improving
• Any swelling around a joint after a twist or fall
• Pain sharp enough to change how you walk or grip the racket
• A niggle that keeps returning every time you play
• Any injury where you heard or felt a pop at the moment it happened

Playing through pain rarely saves time. It usually just delays the inevitable and makes the eventual recovery longer.

Can these injuries be prevented?

A large proportion of padel injuries are preventable with a few consistent habits: a proper dynamic warm-up before stepping on court, building general strength and mobility off court rather than relying on matches as the only training, and not jumping straight from zero games a week to four. Rotating positions with a partner, staying hydrated in Dubai’s heat, and replacing worn grips or ill-fitting shoes also make a real difference over a season.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common padel injury?

Padel elbow and shoulder pain from overhead smashes are consistently the two most reported issues among regular players.

Is padel harder on the body than tennis?

Not necessarily harder, but the rigid racket and glass walls create different stresses, particularly on the elbow and lower back, that surprise many players coming from tennis.

How long does a typical padel injury take to recover from?

It varies widely, a mild strain might settle in one to two weeks, while a tendon overuse injury can take six to eight weeks of structured rehab.

Should beginners worry about injuries?

Beginners are actually at higher risk in some ways, since technique is still developing and the body hasn’t adapted to the sport’s specific demands yet.

Do I need a scan before seeing a physiotherapist?

Usually not. Most padel injuries can be assessed clinically first, with imaging reserved for cases that aren’t responding as expected or involve a suspected fracture or ligament tear.

If something has been nagging at you on court for a few weeks, whether it’s your elbow, shoulder or knee, it’s worth getting it properly assessed rather than guessing. A physiotherapist offering sports physiotherapy in DIFC can identify exactly what’s going on and get you back to full matches with confidence. You can book a session here.

Every January, thousands of people line up for the Dubai Marathon having trained through some of the year’s most comfortable running weather. And every year, a good number of them arrive at the start line carrying a niggle they hoped would just go away. Sometimes it does. Often it doesn’t, and it turns into the reason they walk the last ten kilometres, or don’t start at all.

Most marathon injuries are not bad luck. They come from predictable patterns: training load rising faster than the body can adapt, weeks with no rest, a pair of shoes with far too many kilometres on them, or old imbalances that never got addressed. The good news is that almost all of it is preventable with a bit of planning.

This guide covers the practical side of staying injury free while building up to 42.2 kilometres in a city that adds its own challenges, heat, humidity even in winter, and long stretches on hard, flat pavement.

What causes most marathon training injuries?

The vast majority of running injuries are overuse injuries, not accidents. They build slowly, over weeks, as tissue is asked to absorb more load than it has adapted to. The usual culprits include:

• Increasing weekly mileage too quickly, the classic guideline is no more than about 10% growth per week
• Skipping strength training, which leaves tendons and stabilising muscles underprepared for repeated impact
• Running every session at the same pace and on the same surface, which loads the same tissues the same way over and over
• Ignoring early symptoms because a training plan says today is a running day
• Old injuries or asymmetries that were never properly rehabilitated

Dubai’s flat, consistent pavements are kind in some ways, no hills to worry about, but they also mean the same muscles and joints take the same repetitive load every single run, which is part of why issues like shin splints and IT band irritation are so common here.

How should training load build up safely?

A sensible marathon build progresses gradually, with a step-back week roughly every third or fourth week where mileage drops by 20 to 30% to let the body absorb the training. Long runs should increase gradually rather than jumping from 16 to 26 kilometres in one week because the calendar suddenly feels tight.

Two strength sessions a week make a real difference. Runners who do some form of resistance training, particularly for the calves, glutes and hip stabilisers, consistently show fewer overuse injuries than those who only run. It doesn’t need to be complicated: squats, step-ups, calf raises and single-leg work cover most of what a runner’s body needs.

What role does recovery play?

Sleep and rest days are where adaptation actually happens, the run itself is just the stimulus. Runners preparing for Dubai often train early, before work, which can quietly erode sleep over months without anyone noticing the pattern. Hydration matters more here than in cooler climates too, even a Dubai winter morning run can involve meaningful fluid loss.

Rest days are not optional extras. A body given no downtime accumulates fatigue that eventually shows up as pain, usually at the worst possible time, six weeks before the race.

What early warning signs should runners not ignore?

Some discomfort is a normal part of marathon training. But certain signals are worth acting on quickly rather than hoping they settle:

• Pain that changes how you run, a limp, favouring one side, shortening your stride
• Pain that is worse the next morning rather than easing off
• A specific point of tenderness you can press on and reproduce the pain
• Swelling around a joint or tendon
• Pain that starts earlier and earlier in each run as the weeks go on

A Dubai physiotherapist offering sports injury physiotherapy for runners will usually be able to tell within one assessment whether something is a normal training ache or the start of a real problem, and that distinction is the difference between a two-week fix and a two-month setback.

Should runners get a physio check before race day?

A pre-race assessment, ideally 6 to 8 weeks out, gives enough time to address anything that shows up without disrupting the final taper. It usually covers running mechanics, strength imbalances, footwear, and any old injuries that might resurface under marathon load. Catching a developing issue at week 10 of a 16 week plan is far easier to manage than discovering it at week 15.

Frequently asked questions

How many weeks does it take to prepare for the Dubai Marathon?

Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks to build up safely, longer if starting from a low weekly mileage base or coming back after time off.

Is it normal to feel some soreness during marathon training?

Mild muscle soreness after long runs is normal, especially early on. Sharp, localised, or worsening pain is not and should be checked.

Can strength training slow down my running progress?

No, done properly it protects the tissues doing the impact work and tends to improve running economy over the course of a training block.

What should I do if pain shows up two weeks before the marathon?

See a physiotherapist immediately rather than resting blindly or pushing through. A focused assessment can often clarify whether it’s safe to run and how to manage the final days.

Does Dubai’s heat increase injury risk during training?

Indirectly, yes. Heat and dehydration affect muscle function and fatigue faster, which can change running form and increase strain on tendons and joints over a long run.

If you’re building towards the Dubai Marathon and want a professional eye on your training before something small turns into something that keeps you off the start line, you can book a session here.

It starts as a twinge when shaking hands or lifting a kettle off the stove. A few weeks later, gripping a tennis racquet sends a sharp pain across the outside of the elbow, and even opening a jar becomes uncomfortable. This is the usual story of tennis elbow, and despite the name, plenty of people who have never picked up a racquet get it too.

Tennis elbow, known clinically as lateral epicondylalgia, is an overload problem in the tendons that attach to the bony bump on the outside of the elbow. In tennis players it is often linked to the backhand, a late contact point, or a grip and string tension that puts extra load through the forearm. The good news is that it responds well to the right treatment, and most people recover fully without surgery.

What actually causes tennis elbow?

The forearm extensor tendons, particularly one called extensor carpi radialis brevis, take repeated strain every time the wrist extends against resistance. In tennis, that happens on every backhand and every time the racquet decelerates after a shot. Over weeks and months the tendon accumulates small amounts of damage faster than it can repair, and it starts to break down at a microscopic level rather than simply becoming inflamed. That distinction matters, because it explains why rest alone rarely fixes it.

• A one-handed backhand with a late or low contact point
• A grip size that is too small, forcing the forearm muscles to work harder
• Strings pulled too tight, which transmits more shock into the arm
• Sudden increases in playing volume, such as a tennis trip or tournament week
• Desk work that already leaves the forearm fatigued before a match

In Dubai this last point comes up often. A lot of players are DIFC professionals who type all day and then head straight to an evening match, and the forearm never really gets a break between the two.

How is it diagnosed?

Tennis elbow is usually diagnosed from the story and a physical exam rather than a scan. A physiotherapist will press along the outside of the elbow to find the tender spot, and test resisted wrist and finger extension to reproduce the pain. Grip strength is often reduced on the affected side, sometimes by a surprising amount. An ultrasound or MRI is occasionally used if the picture is unclear or if symptoms have lasted many months without improvement, but it is not needed to start treatment.

What does treatment actually involve?

Contrary to old advice, complete rest is not the answer. Tendons need a certain amount of loading to remodel and get stronger, so treatment usually blends short-term calming down of symptoms with a structured loading programme.

• Load management, which means reducing but not stopping activity, and adjusting racquet grip size, string tension, and technique where needed
• Isometric and eccentric exercises for the wrist extensors, which are well supported by research for reducing tendon pain
• Manual therapy to the forearm muscles and elbow joint to reduce stiffness and improve movement quality
• A gradual return-to-tennis plan, building back up in volume and intensity rather than jumping straight back into full matches

Bracing, such as a counterforce strap just below the elbow, can take some load off the tendon during the day and during matches while the underlying rehab does the real work. Most people notice a meaningful difference within four to six weeks of consistent exercise, though full tendon recovery in more stubborn cases can take a few months.

Can technique changes prevent it coming back?

Yes, and this is often the part that gets skipped. A physiotherapist working with a tennis player will look beyond the elbow itself, checking shoulder and trunk rotation, grip technique, and how much the forearm is being asked to compensate for weaker links elsewhere in the kinetic chain. A late backhand that relies on the wrist to generate power is a classic setup for recurring symptoms, even after the initial pain has settled.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to stop playing tennis completely?

Usually not. Most players can keep playing in some modified form while rehab is underway, adjusting volume, technique or equipment rather than stopping outright.

How long does tennis elbow take to heal?

Many people see real improvement within four to six weeks of consistent exercise therapy, though tendons that have been irritated for months can take longer to fully settle.

Will a cortisone injection fix it?

An injection can reduce pain in the short term, but research shows it does not address the underlying tendon changes and symptoms often return without a proper loading programme alongside it.

Is tennis elbow the same as golfer’s elbow?

No. Tennis elbow affects the tendons on the outside of the elbow, while golfer’s elbow affects the tendons on the inside, though the treatment principles are similar.

Can a smaller racquet grip make it worse?

Yes, a grip that is too small forces the forearm muscles to work harder to stabilise the racquet, which can aggravate an already irritated tendon.

If elbow pain is holding back your tennis or making everyday tasks uncomfortable, it does not have to become a long-term problem. Dedicated sports physiotherapy in DIFC can assess what is driving the load through your tendon and build a plan to get you back on court. You can book a session here.

It usually creeps in slowly. A dull ache on the outside of the elbow after a Saturday morning game, gone again by Monday. Then one week it doesn’t fade. Gripping the racket for a bandeja starts to sting, and shaking hands after the match hurts more than the match itself. That is padel elbow, and with courts filling up across Dubai every evening, it has become one of the most common reasons players end up looking for treatment.

Padel elbow sits in the same family as tennis elbow, known medically as lateral epicondylalgia. It is an overload injury of the tendons attaching to the bony bump on the outside of the elbow, the ones that control wrist extension and grip strength. Padel loads these tendons constantly. Every volley, every bandeja and every defensive block near the glass asks the forearm to absorb force, and the angles are slightly different from tennis, which is part of why so many tennis players are caught off guard when padel is what finally triggers it.

Why does padel cause this more than people expect?

Padel racket construction plays a big part. There are no strings to absorb shock, so the racket is solid and rigid, and more of the impact travels straight into the forearm on every shot. A mistimed volley or a fast bounce off the glass adds a jolt the tendon was not ready for.

• A stringless, rigid racket that transmits more vibration into the forearm
• Repeated volleys played with a locked or slightly bent wrist instead of a relaxed one
• Off-centre hits, especially on defensive shots taken close to the back glass
• A grip size that is too small, forcing the forearm muscles to work harder to control the racket
• Playing several matches in a row without enough recovery between sessions

How can you tell it’s padel elbow and not something else?

The pain is usually located precisely on the bony point on the outside of the elbow, and it gets worse with specific movements rather than all the time. Lifting a kettle, turning a door handle, or shaking hands can all bring on a sharp twinge. On court, the backhand volley and any shot that involves gripping hard through impact tend to be the most painful.

It is worth noting this is different from golfer’s elbow, which sits on the inside of the joint, and from nerve-related pain, which tends to travel down into the forearm or fingers with tingling. A proper assessment can tell the difference quickly, because the treatment approach is not the same.

What actually helps padel elbow heal?

The tendon needs two things at once: less of the load that keeps aggravating it, and enough of the right load to rebuild its capacity. Complete rest rarely works on its own, tendons tend to get weaker and more sensitive when they are left alone completely, then flare up again the moment play resumes.

A physiotherapist in DIFC treating padel elbow will usually combine hands-on work to reduce local irritation with a structured strengthening programme, often starting with slow, controlled loading of the wrist extensors and building up from there. Taping or a counterforce brace can take pressure off the tendon during the early weeks, and adjusting grip size or technique often prevents it coming straight back once play resumes.

Most players see a real change within four to six weeks if the loading plan is followed properly, though a tendon that has been irritated for months can take longer to settle. The good news is that padel elbow responds well to the right approach, and very few cases need injections or surgery.

Can you keep playing while it heals?

Often yes, in a modified way. Reducing the number of sessions per week, avoiding high-intensity smashes and volleys temporarily, and focusing drills on footwork rather than repeated hard contact can keep a player on court while the tendon settles. Stopping completely is sometimes necessary in more irritable cases, but it is not usually the first choice.

Frequently asked questions

How long does padel elbow take to heal?

Mild cases often improve within four to six weeks with the right loading programme, while longstanding cases can take two to three months to fully settle.

Is padel elbow the same as tennis elbow?

They are essentially the same condition, lateral epicondylalgia, just triggered by a different sport with slightly different movement patterns and impact forces.

Should I stop playing padel completely?

Most players do not need to stop entirely. Reducing intensity and volume while following a proper rehab plan usually works better than total rest.

Does a bigger grip size help prevent it?

Yes, in many cases. A grip that is too small forces the forearm to work harder on every shot, so sizing it correctly can reduce strain considerably.

Can physiotherapy fix padel elbow without injections?

In the vast majority of cases, yes. A structured strengthening and load management plan resolves padel elbow without the need for injections or surgery.

If that ache on the outside of your elbow has been hanging around longer than a couple of weeks, it is worth getting it looked at before it changes the way you play. A sports physiotherapist in Dubai can assess the tendon properly and build a plan to get you back to full-strength volleys. You can book a session here.