Dr Mark Ridgewell

I am a Consultant Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician. I am experienced and trained in the management of musculoskeletal (bone, muscle and other soft tissue) and overuse injuries across the whole spectrum from elite performers to those who are wanting to start a low-level exercise. Examples of what I see include shoulder, elbow and wrist pain, back and neck pain, hip, groin and knee pain, muscle injuries ankle sprains and foot pain. I have great experience in managing female sports musculoskeletal and overuse injuries, particularly for developing sports people.

I use diagnostic ultrasound scans in clinics and offer a wide variety of interventions such as injections with steroid, hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma, as well as shockwave (ESWT) therapy for tendon injuries.

I worked for the NHS for around 35 years, and have worked at an international level across a wide variety of sports from 1991 to present day. I am lead doctor for professional WTA tennis tournaments, and I work with the English National Ballet School and the Loughborough Lightning Netball team. I am also involved with the HSBC tennis championship and F1 Motor Racing. I was Clinical Lead of the Clinical Musculoskeletal Assessment Service (CMATS) at Swansea Bay University Health Board between 2000 and 2022. I have been appointed Medical Adviser and Doctor to Pioneered Athlete Performance since November 2025. I am also SEM Consultant for TASS (Talented Athlete Sponsorship Scheme) and have been in this role since 2023.

Previous roles I have had include working as the lead Doctor with the England and Wales Cricket Board between 1999 and 2003 and toured with the England team. I was Chief Medical Officer at the Football Association of Wales from 2005-2013 and Lead Sports Physician at the Welsh Institute of Sport from 2003-2020 where I worked with high levels sports people in athletics, swimming, hockey, netball, cycling, and gymnastics. Glasgow 2014 was my third Commonwealth Games as Doctor to Team Wales.

I was instrumental in the setting-up and design of the internationally regarded Masters in Sport and Exercise Medicine course at Cardiff Metropolitan University between 1999 and 2019. I am still Principal Lecturer at the University and have acted as a mentor for many junior doctors and physiotherapists who have risen to prominent roles over the years.

I work closely with Physiotherapists, Osteopaths/Chiropractors and Orthopaedic Surgeons to determine the best management plan to bring good outcomes for my patients. I understand the significant effects that injury and pain can have on normal day to day life and very much encourage physical activity in my treatment plans.