Managing Tendinopathy in Elite Women's Soccer

In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole is joined by Shawn Hanlon and Sarah Neal for a deep dive into Achilles tendinopathy management in elite soccer, blending cutting edge research with the realities of professional sport. Shawn shares insights from his research on tendon pathology, subgroup classification, and why symptom duration and imaging often fail to predict outcomes. Sarah brings a clinician's perspective from professional women's soccer, discussing how tendinopathy typically presents as an acute on chronic issue, how flare ups are managed in season, and how load monitoring, athlete education, and collaboration across departments can keep players available. This conversation reframes tendinopathy not as a simple overuse injury, but as a complex, system wide challenge requiring thoughtful load management rather than rest. Topics include: What tendinopathy really is and why structure does not equal symptoms Tendon health subgroups and their relevance to elite athletes Acute vs chronic tendinopathy and why duration does not change rehab outcomes Safe loading through pain and the pain monitoring model In season management strategies for long, congested soccer schedules GPS, high speed running, and load metrics that matter most for tendons   Register for the Soccer Performance Support Summit! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator