Linda Linton

Advanced Practice Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist

Clinical Educator for QMU and Napier pre-reg and UG physiotherapy students

BSc(HONS) Physiotherapy at University of Ulster 1994

PG Cert in Sports Physiotherapy at Manchester Metropolitan University 1997

MMACP at Glasgow Caledonian University 2000

MSc Manual Therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University 2005

PG Cert Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography at University East London 2018

Injection Therapy at Queen Margaret University 2022

Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists MCSP

Health and Care Professions Council HCPC

Member of Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists MMACP

Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists AACP

At FASIC I am the clinical lead for back, neck, pelvic and hip conditions. I also have a special interest in overuse injuries of the shoulder, knee and ankle, and a particular interest in the management of running-related injuries in recreational runners and profiling of the runner for risk of running-related injuries.

I run the Prehabilitation for Runners Workshops at FASIC, which are aimed at runners who want to learn more about how they can reduce the likelihood of injury. These have proved very popular educational sessions on load management, gait re-education through running cues, neuromuscular and strength training, advice on training programmes, and warm-up/cool-down/recovery.

Over the years, I have completed many Postgraduate courses on sports injury management, manual therapy and in 2018 gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography, which has been an invaluable help for both myself and my patients in the diagnosis and management of soft tissue injuries. Most recently in 2022 I completed my injection therapy training with the Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine (SOMM) at Queen Margaret University.

As well as working as a clinician, I tutor on the National Sports First Aid Course, teach on the BSc Applied Sports Science course and work in research. My research interests are running-related injuries and physical health, low back pain and aquatic therapy.​​​

I started my career in the NHS working in England then Scotland, gaining invaluable experience in all aspects of Physiotherapy. This was followed by a period of time in Sydney, Australia where I worked in outpatients and neurosurgery, travelled around Europe and Asia, before returning to the UK to specialise in Sport & Exercise Medicine, taking up a post at FASIC Sport & Exercise Medicine Clinic in 1998. More recently in 2021, I have returned to the NHS part-time and work as a GP Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner in Midlothian based in Roslin Medical Practice where I work as a First Contact Practitioner.

I have attended and presented at international conferences, such as the IOC World Conference Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport, World Congress on Lower back and Pelvic Pain, IFOMPT, and national conferences Physiotherapy UK and BASEM.

My main research interests are in the prevention of injury, in particular running-related injury, and the promotion of Physical Activity. Injury prevention is of particular interest and I am a member of the Edinburgh Sports Medicine Research Network (ESMRN) which along with Bath Research Centre, leads the UK International Olympic Committee (IOC) Research Centre focusing on injury and illness prevention in athletes.

From 2013-2018 I was involved as Co-I in the WATER project at Edinburgh University, which investigated muscle activity in people with low back pain during exercises in the water compared with on land, and currently supervise PhD students working on aquatic therapy projects.

Recent research publications:

Linton L, Barr M, Valentin S. 2022 Prehabilitation for recreational runners: Motivators, influencers and barriers to injury prevention strategies for running-related injury. Journal of Sports Rehabilitation. (Ahead of Print) https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2021-0364

Psycharakis SG, Coleman GSG, Linton L, Valentin S. 2022. The WATER study: Which AquaTic ExeRcises increase muscle activity and limit pain for people with low back pain? Physiotherapy (In press) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2022.03.003

Linton L, Valentin S, 2020 Running coaches and running group leaders’ engagement with, and beliefs and perceived barriers to prehabilitation and injury prevention strategies for runners. Physical Therapy in Sport. 46:54-62

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.08.004

Psycharakis SG, Coleman SGS, Linton L, Kaliarntas K, Valentin S 2019 Muscle activity during aquatic exercises in people with and without low back pain. Physical Therapy. 99(3): 297-310 https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzy150

Linton L, Valentin S 2018 Running with Injury: a study of UK recreational and novice runners and association with running-related injury. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 21(12):1221-1225 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2018.05.021

Dimundo F, Saunders D, Turner AP, Linton L 2018 FMS screening for middle distance running: a case study of the impact of a four-week training intervention. Professional Journal of Strength and Conditioning.  48:15-22

Linton L, Valentin S, Coleman SGS, Kaliarntas K, Psycharakis SG 2017 Trunk muscle activity during dynamic exercises on land and in water for participants with and without chronic low back pain. Physiotherapy. 103:e6-e7 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2017.11.158  

Linton L, Calder L, Santer T 2014 Musculoskeletal Testing of Orienteers During Pre-Participation Evaluation and Associations with Limb Dominance and Injury History.  BJSM, 48(7): 148 http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/7/628.1

Hettle D, Linton L, Baker JS 2013 The effect of kinesiotaping on functional performance on chronic ankle instability – A preliminary study.  Clinical Research on Foot and Ankle 1:105 https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c9a7/5de37b37d5eb5d76eb2d13afc630d30d60dfc0e.pdf  ​​​​

My personal interests are running, cycling, hill walking and open water swimming. I love my garden and spend a lot of time outdoors, and with my family. I am keen on travelling and always fit in a bit of hill walking wherever I go and have climbed up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, and the Andes, Argentina.

I believe everyone should engage in sport, whatever their level of experience and have always wanted to support others pursue their goals for fitness, particularly if they are new to sport.

The sports I have worked with specifically over the years are Leith Academicals RFC (1995-1997); Murrayfield Wanderers RFC (1998-2000); Scottish Athletics (1999-2005), Commonwealth Youth Games (2000); Stewarts Melville RFC (2001-2007); Scotland Ladies' Lacrosse team (2005-2009), Scotland Men’s Cricket Team pro40 (2010); World Touch Rugby (2011); Masters Men's Hockey Home Internationals (2015), diving at Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014, and educational sessions for Midlothian Swimming Team.