Dr John Brooks
Consultant in Sports & Exercise Medicine
Dr John Brooks is a Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine working in private practice, the UK Sports Institute and in elite sport within the UK.
After qualifying and training in the UK he spent time as the Red Roses (England Women’s rugby union) full-time team doctor.
He subsequently worked in Sports Medicine in Australia (Melbourne) for 5 years. This included working in private practice treating a variety of musculoskeletal conditions in recreational athletes and sporting participants as well as helping those aiming to be more comfortable while active and becoming more mobile.
He also worked with multiple elite sports including Australian Rules Football (Team Doctor St. Kilda FC AFL team and Richmond Tigers VFL team), rowing (Rowing Australia Pathways doctor U19-U23), netball, basketball, hockey and rugby union (including as immediate care lead for the 2nd Lions test against Australia in 2025).
He treats musculoskeletal and sports medicine conditions in patients of all ages from children and adolescents to recreational sporting participants and elite athletes through to older individuals wanting to remain mobile and active.
As a former professional rugby player, John understands the needs of people wanting to be healthy and active, as well as the frustration of medical issues and injuries. He aims to provide a thorough assessment and optimal management.
He has an MSc in Exercise Physiology and has co-authored more than 40 peer reviewed Sports Medicine publications including in rugby, ballet and sailing. He has presented his work internationally at conferences and continues to teach Sport and Exercise Medicine to current and future Doctors and clinicians. He has a PhD in Sports Injuries, which included setting up the England Rugby PRISP (Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project) collecting data on professional rugby injuries since 2002.
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Additional information about Dr John Brooks
Consultant Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician at the UK Sports Institute (UKSI)
2014
Ultrasound guided injections
Non-operative management of osteoarthritis
Adolescent injuries including back pain and pars fractures
Stress fractures and fracture non-union
Knee pain
Cross Bracing for some knee ACL ruptures (time critical – please call or email)
Low back pain
Sports related concussion
Exercise related fatigue including RED-S
Sports injury epidemiology.
Fellow of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (UK).
Associate Member of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians.
Editorials
Brooks JHM, Erith SJ. Warm-up programmes in sport. BMJ 2008;337(dec09_2):a2381-.
Brooks JHM, Tingay R, Varney J. “Social distancing and COVID-19: an unprecedented active transport Public Health opportunity”. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020 Online first.
Brooks JHM, Ahmad I, et al. "Promoting physical activity: the general practice agenda." British Journal of General Practice 2016 66(650): 454-455.
Book sections and invited contributions
Brooks JHM and Kemp SPT. Injuries in rugby union. Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine 2011 Editor: L. J. Micheli, SAGE Publications: 1234-1237.
Brooks JHM, Kemp SPT. Recent trends in rugby union injuries. Clinics in Sports Medicine 2008; 27:51-73.
Peer reviewed papers
West, SW, Hudson, SJ, Starling, L, Cross, M, Williams, S, McKay, CD, Cazzola, D, Brooks, JHM, Murray, R et al. (2024). "Twenty year analysis of professional men’s rugby union knee injuries from the English premiership shows high rates and burden." British Journal of Sports Medicine 58(24): 1496-1504.
West, SW, Starling, L, Kemp, S, Williams, S, Cross, M, Taylor, A, Brooks, JHM et al. (2021). "Trends in match injury risk in professional male rugby union: a 16-season review of 10 851 match injuries in the English Premiership (2002–2019): the Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project." British Journal of Sports Medicine 55(12): 676-682.
West, SW, Cross, M, Trewartha, G, Taylor, A, Brooks, JHM et al. (2021). "Trends in match concussion incidence and return-to-play time in male professional Rugby Union: A 16-season prospective cohort study." Brain Injury 35(10): 1235-1244.
Lazarczuk SL, Love T, Cross M, Stokes K, Williams S, Taylor A, Fuller C, Brooks JHM et al. (2020). “The epidemiology of kicking injury in professional Rugby Union: a 15-season prospective study”. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
West S, Williams S, Kemp SPT, Cross M, McKay C, Fuller CW, Taylor A, Brooks JHM et al. (2020) “Patterns of training volume and injury risk in elite rugby union: an analysis of 1.5 million hours of training exposure over eleven seasons.” Journal of Sport Sciences 1-10.
Griffin SA, Panagodage Perera NK, Murra, A, Hartley C, Brooks JHM et al. (2019). "The relationships between rugby union and health: a scoping review protocol." BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 5(1): e000593.
Cross, M., S. Williams, et al. (2018). "Does the Reliability of Reporting in Injury Surveillance Studies Depend on Injury Definition?" Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine 6(3): Online first
Williams, S., G. Trewartha, Kemp SPT, Brooks JHM et al. (2017). "How Much Rugby is Too Much? A Seven-Season Prospective Cohort Study of Match Exposure and Injury Risk in Professional Rugby Union Players." Sports Medicine 47(11): 2395-2402.
Quarrie KL, Brooks JHM, Burger N, Hume PA, Jackson S. (2017). "Facts and values: on the acceptability of risks in children’s sport using the example of rugby — a narrative review." British Journal of Sports Medicine 51(15): 1134-1139.
Williams, S., G. Trewartha, Kemp SPT, Brooks JHM et al. (2017). "Subsequent Injuries and Early Recurrent Diagnoses in elite Rugby Union Players." International Journal of Sports Medicine 38(10): 791-798.
Brooks, J., S. Kemp, et al. (2016) "Managing recovery from concussion." BMJ 2016 355.
Brooks, J. H. M., I. Ahmad, et al. (2016). "Anabolic steroid use." BMJ 2016 355: i5023.
Williams, S., G. Trewartha, Kemp SPT, Brooks JHM et al. (2016). "Time loss injuries compromise team success in Elite Rugby Union: a 7-year prospective study." British Journal of Sports Medicine. 50(11): 651-656.
Jones PR, Brooks JHM, Wylie A. Realising the potential for an Olympic legacy; teaching medical students about sport and exercise medicine and exercise prescribing. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2013. 47(17): 1090-1094
Allen N, Nevill AM, Brooks JH, Koutedakis Y, Wyon MA. The Effect of a Comprehensive Injury Audit Program on Injury Incidence in Ballet: A 3-Year Prospective Study. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 2013; 23(5):373-8
Brooks JHM and Ferro A. The physician's role in prescribing physical activity for the prevention and treatment of essential hypertension. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) Cardiovascular Disease 2012; 1(4).
Fuller CW, Taylor AE, Brooks JHM and Kemp SPT. Changes in the stature, body mass and age of English professional rugby players: A 10-year review. Journal of Sports Sciences 2012; 31(7): 795-802.
Cheng S-CP, Sivardeen ZKAB, Wallace WA, Buchanan D, Hulse D, Fairbairn KJ, Kemp SPT and Brooks JHM. Shoulder Instability in Professional Rugby Players-The Significance of Shoulder Laxity. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 2012; 22(5): 397-402.
Allen, N., A. Nevill, Brooks JH, Koutedakis Y, Wyon MA. Ballet injuries: injury incidence and severity over 1 year. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2012 42(9): 781-790.
Brooks JHM and Kemp SPT. Injury-prevention priorities according to playing position in professional rugby union players. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2011; 45(10): 765-775.
Pearce CJ, Brooks JHM, Kemp SPT, Calder JDF. The epidemiology of foot injuries in professional rugby union players. Foot and Ankle Surgery 2011 17(3): 113-118.
Neville V, Brooks JHM, Allen JB (2010). "“Sports injuries in an America's Cup yachting crew: A 4-year epidemiological study covering the 2007 challenge”– A critical commentary." Journal of Sport Sciences 28(10): 1137-1139.
Fuller CW, Ashton T, Brooks JHM, Cancea RJ, Hall J, Kemp SPT. Injury risks associated with tackling in rugby union. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2010; 44(3): 159-167
Orchard J, Rae K, Brooks J, Hagglund M, Til L, Wales D, Wood T. Revision, uptake and coding issues related to the open access Orchard Sports Injury Classification System (OSICS) versions 8, 9 and 10.1. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine 2010.
Sankey RA, Brooks JHM, Kemp SPT, Haddad FS. The Epidemiology of Ankle Injuries in Professional Rugby Union Players. American Journal of Sports Medicine 2008;36(12):2415-2424.
Kemp SPT, Hudson Z, Brooks JHM, Fuller CW. The epidemiology of head injuries in English professional rugby union. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 2008;18:227-234.
Brooks JHM, Fuller CW, Kemp SPT, Reddin DB. An assessment of training volume in professional rugby union and its impact on the incidence, severity, and nature of match and training injuries. Journal of Sports Sciences 2008;26(8):863-873.
Kerr HA, Curtis C, Micheli LJ, Kocher MS, Zurakowski D, Kemp SPT, Brooks JHM. Collegiate rugby union injury patterns in New England: a prospective cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2008;42(7):595-603.
Fuller CW, Brooks JHM, Kemp SPT. Spinal injuries in professional rugby union: a prospective cohort study. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;17(1):10-16.
Fuller CW, Molloy MG, Bagate C, Bahr R, Brooks JHM, Donson H, et al. Consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection procedures for studies of injuries in rugby union. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;17:177-181.
Fuller CW, Brooks JHM, Cancea RJ, Hall J, Kemp SPT. Contact events in rugby union and their propensity to cause injury. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;41(12):862-867.
Fuller CW, Molloy MG, Bagate C, Bahr R, Brooks JHM, Donson H, et al. Consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection procedures for studies of injuries in rugby union. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;41(5):328-331.
Headey J, Brooks JHM, Kemp SPT. The Epidemiology of Shoulder Injuries in English Professional Rugby Union. American Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;35(9):1537-1543.
Dallalana RJ, Brooks JHM, Kemp SPT, Williams AM. The Epidemiology of Knee Injuries in English Professional Rugby Union. American Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;35(5):818-830.
Brooks JHM, Fuller CW. The Influence of Methodological Issues on the Results and Conclusions from Epidemiological Studies of Sports Injuries: Illustrative Examples. Sports Medicine 2006;36(6):459-472.
Neville VJ, Molloy J, Brooks JHM, Speedy DB, Atkinson G, Spalding T, Allen JB. Epidemiology of injuries and illnesses in America's Cup yacht racing. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2006;40(4):304-312.
Brooks JHM, Fuller CW, Kemp SPT, Reddin DB. Incidence, Risk, and Prevention of Hamstring Muscle Injuries in Professional Rugby Union. American Journal of Sports Medicine 2006;34(8):1297-1306.
Brooks JHM, Fuller CW, Kemp SPT, Reddin DR. Epidemiology of injuries in English professional rugby union: part 1 match injuries. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2005 39(10): 757-766.
Brooks JHM, Fuller CW, Kemp SPT, Reddin DR. Epidemiology of injuries in English professional rugby union: part 2 training Injuries. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2005 39(10): 767-775.
Brooks JHM, Fuller CW, Kemp SPT, Reddin DR. A prospective study of injuries and training amongst the England 2003 Rugby World Cup squad. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2005: 39: 288-293