Physiotherapy management of marathon musculo-skeletal casualties.

Physiotherapists with experience in sports injuries are an essential part of the marathon medical team as they are familiar with the injuries suffered by the long distance runners and are thus able to make a rapid assessment of the injury on the marathon day and treat accordingly. The long distance runner is liable to suffer from the whole gamut of injuries to the lower limb including muscle and tendon strains, joint sprains, trauma to the knee, ankle and foot, ilio-tibial band syndrome and compartment syndromes, knee cap pain, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, stress fractures and musculoskeletal peritendinitis of the Achilles tendon.