A sports injury needs more than waiting for pain to settle.
Physiotherapy for Hamstring, Groin & Shoulder Injuries Amsterdam
A sharp pull in your hamstring, groin pain when turning or kicking, a shoulder that no longer trusts overhead movement. Hamstring, groin and shoulder injuries have different features, but recovery starts with the same question: what can your body handle now, and how do we build it back safely? At BeyondPhysio in Amsterdam West, you receive a personal plan from assessment to return to sport.
★★★★★ 47 reviews · No referral needed · often covered by insurance
Who is this for?
You enjoy training seriously, but a hamstring injury, groin complaint or shoulder injury is holding you back. Perhaps you felt a sudden pull while sprinting, pain in the groin when pushing off or turning, or shoulder pain during throwing, hitting, swimming or strength training. Rest helped briefly, but symptoms returned when you increased your load.
This page is for you if you want more than less pain. You want to sprint, turn, throw, hit or train with confidence again. We assess each complaint area separately, then build you back to the demands of your sport.
You probably recognise this
What you notice
- Hamstring: sudden pain at the back of the thigh during sprinting, acceleration, jumping or kicking, sometimes with a snap, bruising or clear loss of strength.
- Groin: pain on the inside of the thigh, in the groin or around the hip during pushing off, turning, kicking, sprinting or squeezing the legs together.
- Shoulder: pain with lifting, throwing, hitting or overhead work, sometimes with night pain, weakness, clicking or a feeling of instability.
- A complaint that improves with rest but returns when you resume full training or increase your load quickly.
The name of an injury does not always identify the exact tissue involved. Hamstring complaints can involve muscle or tendon, groin pain has several possible sources and shoulder pain can relate to overload, instability or acute trauma. That is why a good assessment starts with your history and physical examination, not one scan or one isolated test.
How these sports injuries develop
Hamstring injuries often occur at high speed or during lengthening: sprinting, accelerating, jumping, kicking or combining a flexed hip with a straight knee. A previous hamstring injury is the most consistent risk factor. A sudden increase in sprint or training load, insufficiently rebuilt strength and too little exposure to high-speed running can add to the risk.
Groin pain in athletes is more complex than a simple pulled muscle. It can relate to the adductors, iliopsoas, inguinal canal, pubic bone or hip, and more than one area can contribute. Cutting, pushing off, kicking and rotating load the adductors, hip and trunk, especially when training volume rises quickly or a previous injury has not fully recovered.
Shoulder injuries often develop through repeated overhead movement, throwing, hitting, swimming or strength training, particularly when volume rises quickly or the shoulder becomes fatigued. A fall, collision or sudden pull can instead cause instability, an acute tendon injury, AC joint injury or fracture. The shoulder also works with your trunk, hips and legs, so the full movement chain matters.
Why the complaint keeps coming back
The common trap is waiting until pain disappears and then returning straight to your old training. Being pain-free in daily life does not yet mean your hamstring tolerates high speed, your groin is ready for repeated cutting or your shoulder can handle a full throwing or hitting load.
Stretching, massage or treating only the painful spot is rarely enough. You need to regain the capacity your sport demands: strength at longer muscle lengths for the hamstring, adductor strength and trunk control for the groin, and rotator-cuff, shoulder-blade and whole-chain control for the shoulder.
How we treat this at BeyondPhysio
We understand how frustrating it is when sport gives you energy but your body stops you at the same moment each time. We first identify what provokes your complaint, then build capacity step by step with clear criteria for progressing and one consistent therapist who knows your sport goal.
These complaints sit within our sports injuries programme, where rehabilitation connects to real strength and sports-specific training.
Find out what is going on.
We map how the injury started, your sports load, strength, range of motion and control. For groin complaints we assess the different possible pain patterns; for shoulder complaints we also screen the neck, nerves and the rest of the movement chain.
Create your personal recovery plan.
You start with symptom-guided loading and targeted exercises. Hamstring, groin and shoulder each receive an appropriate progression from early strength and control to longer-muscle-length, overhead or sports-specific loading.
Return to your sport.
We gradually rebuild walking, running, sprinting, braking, turning, jumping, throwing, hitting or contact load. Full return is based on repeatedly tolerating the relevant sport demands, including your response later that day and the next morning.
What you can do yourself
Temporarily change the movement that clearly provokes your complaint, but do not make yourself completely inactive without a reason. A short protection phase may be appropriate after acute trauma; after that, gradual loading is usually the route back. Note what you feel during training and how your symptoms respond later that day and the next morning.
Seek same-day medical assessment after a clear snap with major loss of function, significant bruising or swelling, inability to walk or bear weight, visible shoulder deformity, sudden strength loss after trauma or a shoulder that appears dislocated. Deep, increasing groin or hip pain at rest or at night, fever, loss of sensation and acute abdominal, testicular or groin swelling also require medical assessment.
What you get back
You can do what your sport asks of you again with confidence. Your hamstring can accelerate and sprint, your groin can push off and cut, and your shoulder can throw, hit or lift without constant doubt. You understand your capacity, build it sensibly and know what to do if symptoms return.
What waiting costs you
If you only rest until pain settles and then immediately resume your old level, the weak link remains. Another setback can keep you out of sport for weeks or months and make full return feel more intimidating. Progressive loading takes patience, but it gives you something rest alone cannot: trust in your body.
Frequently asked questions
When should I see a physiotherapist for a hamstring, groin or shoulder injury?
If a hamstring, groin or shoulder injury lasts longer than expected, keeps returning, limits work, sleep, sport or daily movement, an assessment is sensible. We check whether physiotherapy is the right care and refer you when medical evaluation is needed.
Do I need a referral?
No. Physiotherapy in the Netherlands is directly accessible. You can book an assessment without seeing your GP first.
How many sessions will I need?
That depends on your complaint, history and goals. After the assessment you receive a clear recovery plan with a realistic timeline.
Do you treat English-speaking clients?
Yes. Our physiotherapists speak English and regularly treat internationals and expats in Amsterdam West.
What causes groin pain in athletes?
Groin pain can relate to the adductors, iliopsoas, inguinal canal, pubic bone or hip. It often appears during pushing off, turning, sprinting, kicking or squeezing the inner thighs. Because several causes can overlap, an assessment is useful before assuming it is simply a pulled muscle.
Which shoulder injuries affect athletes?
Athletes may develop rotator-cuff-related shoulder pain, tendon complaints, instability, AC joint injury, biceps or labrum-related symptoms and acute injuries after a fall or collision. Pain with overhead movement, weakness, night pain, clicking or a feeling of slipping out are reasons to have the shoulder assessed.
When can I return to sport after an injury?
When you can repeatedly tolerate the movements and load your sport requires without a clear pain or symptom response. For the hamstring this includes running and sprinting, for the groin cutting, turning and kicking, and for the shoulder throwing, hitting, lifting or contact. Confidence and psychological readiness matter too.
Do stretching and massage help these injuries?
Stretching or massage can feel temporarily useful, but they do not automatically restore hamstring, groin or shoulder capacity. The central part of recovery is a progressive exercise programme with strength, control and sports-specific loading. Hands-on treatment can be an addition, not the whole plan.
How can I prevent the injury from returning?
Increase training volume and intensity gradually and keep training the hardest sports demands you need to tolerate. Hamstrings may benefit from exercises such as Nordic hamstring work, groin rehabilitation needs adductor strength and trunk control, and shoulder rehabilitation often includes rotator-cuff strength, shoulder-blade control and whole-chain capacity.
Book your assessment
For many clients, physiotherapy is covered through supplementary Dutch health insurance. No referral is needed. You work in 45-60 minute one-to-one sessions with one consistent therapist, in private treatment rooms with rehabilitation and strength building inside BeyondFit Amsterdam. Excellent rating: 47 reviews.
Ready to return not only pain-free, but sport-ready? Book your assessment and find which link is keeping your hamstring, groin or shoulder from progressing.