What is a Sports Physiotherapist and What they Do

By Rehan Iqbal

A sports physiotherapist (sport physio) is a physical therapist who specializes in working with athletes to help them reach their maximum performance potential. Their work includes sports wellness at all levels ranging from providing good advice for sports injury prevention to providing care and treatment for sports injury recovery.

Sports Physiotherapist AKA Sports Physio

Why is a Sport Physio Different From a Standard Physical Therapist?

Where Do Sports Physiotherapists Work?

What Sort of Training Does a Sports Physiotherapist Need?

What are the Skills of a Sports Physiotherapist?

What Sorts of Conditions Do Sports Physiotherapists Treat?

What are the Benefits of Sports Physiotherapy?

A “sport physio” provides sport specific knowledge and treatment regarding all sorts of sport injuries, including those that are acute, chronic or caused by overuse. This sort of specialized therapist is able to treat sports participants of all ages and genders, engaged in any sort of sport at any competitive level.

Why is a Sport Physio Different From a Standard Physical Therapist?

This specialized branch of musculoskeletal physical therapy focuses on the types of conditions and injuries that are exclusively experienced by athletes involved in sports. These conditions and injuries are rather different than the everyday aches and pains suffered by the general public because sport participation is typically more demanding and stressful to the body than everyday activities.

Where Do Sports Physiotherapists Work?

If you are involved in sports, you may find a sports physiotherapist working exclusively with your team, working in concert with other providers in a doctor’s office or working solo in a private practice. If you are hoping to become a sports physiotherapist, it’s easy to see that career possibilities are flexible and abundant.

What Sort of Training Does a Sports Physiotherapist Need?

The path to valid use of the “sports physio” title is quite specific. Training begins with the attainment of a bachelors’ degree in physiotherapy followed by specialized training focusing on human physique, structure, movement and form. It is also possible to attain qualification as a sports physiotherapist by completing a 4-year degree in a related field (e.g. exercise physiology) and then completing postgraduate work in physiotherapy.

Physiotherapists who have completed their bachelors’ degree in physiotherapy can add knowledge, skills and abilities to their repertoire to earn the “sports physio” title through schooling or experience. If they choose the academic method, they must go on to attain a Masters’ degree and then pursue two years of clinical training.

If they choose the experiential method, they’ll need to get five years of practical or clinical experience and a minimum of three years of related practice in order to earn the title “sports physio”. In this case, ongoing education and membership in related, qualified national organizations are also often required (depending upon location).

What are the Skills of a Sports Physiotherapist?

A qualified sport physio should:

Understand the types and levels of injuries possible at various levels of sport participation.
Understand the differences between injuries in people of a wide range of ages.
Understand the differences between injuries in people of all genders.
Know about the rules and play of a wide variety of sports.

He or she should be able to:

Communicate positively with all members of the team, including coaches, managers, supporters, doctors, dieticians, players and more.
Perform manual therapy to help ease pain and promote healing.
Take athletes’ psychological and physical needs into account.
Devise and supervise an exercise rehabilitation program.
Deal with traumatic injuries promptly and efficiently.
Provide onsite care at sporting events.
Design individual treatment plans.
Enhance athletes’ performance.
Deliver a correct diagnosis.

What Sorts of Conditions Do Sports Physiotherapists Treat?

As mentioned, a sport physio is tasked with preventing and treating all manner of sport related injuries. Some specific examples include:

Torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
Torn medial collateral ligament (MCL)
Femoroacetabular impingement
Acromioclavicular joint injury
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Achilles tendon Rupture
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Shoulder Impingement
Abdominal side strain
Rotator cuff injury
Pulled Calf Muscle
Achilles tendonitis
Hamstring strains
Whiplash injury
Lower Back pain
Plantar Fasciitis
Stress Fracture
Muscle Strain
Ankle Sprains
Golfer’s elbow
Tennis elbow
Wrist strain
Contusions
Tendonitis
Shin Splits
Groin pull

It’s easy to see, from this extensive list of conditions with which sport physios are often faced, that the specialized, intensive and focused training these professionals receive is absolutely necessary. This truly explains the very exclusive use of the title “Sport Physio”.

What are the Benefits of Sports Physiotherapy?

This sort of focused, specialized treatment helps sport participants at all levels of play prevent injuries. In the event injury does occur, treatment provided by a specially trained sport physio can help players recover more quickly and get back in the game with the least negative physical and psychological impact and the greatest chance of full and successful recovery.

Consider these six benefits of receiving sports physiotherapy throughout your athletic experience.

A skilled sport physio can help evaluate, improve and correct technique. When you participate in any sport with proper technique, you can expect improved performance and far less chance of injury.
The right advice can result in unique, individualized training. A good sport physio will assess your level of skill along with your abilities and come up with a training program that will address your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Proper training, specific to you, improves proprioception, balance, coordination, range of motion and much more. This adds up to improved performance and reduced chance of injury.
Prompt treatment of injuries when they do occur helps speed up recovery. Having a good sport physio onsite at all your practices and games improves diagnosis of injuries and increases your ability to recover swiftly and well.
Recover from injuries faster and better! With the care and supervision of a good sport physio, you will find yourself recovering more quickly and effectively from all sorts of sport injuries thanks to access to a wide range of therapies that may include taping, dry needling, myofascial release, soft tissue release, manipulation and/or exercise.
Personalized rehabilitation programs help with solid recovery from serious injuries. A well trained, qualified sport physio can manage your recovery from the moment your injury occurs until you are completely healed. Having a professional who is on the spot when the injury happens and who then follows and directs all aspects of your rehab and recovery is simply invaluable. A sport physio who is familiar with you and your personal needs can design and oversee a program that cares for your injury while simultaneously addressing your need to maintain your overall level of fitness during recovery.
You can return to your sport with confidence. When you have received personalized, one-on-one, knowledgeable care from start to finish, you can feel absolutely confident of returning to play without excessive risk of exacerbating or repeating your injury. A skilled sport physio will keep track of and evaluate your physical, mental and emotional readiness to return before putting you back in the game.

Sport participation is demanding in a lot of ways. Whether you are participating at an amateur or professional level, sports can take a mental, emotional and physical toll. This is why a solid relationship with a specially trained sport physio can be extremely beneficial to athletes at all levels of participation and skill.

Resource:

The Impact of Physical Therapy on an Athletes Decision to Return to Sport
https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1303&context=honors_proj

Author

Rehan Iqbal

Rehan is a content creator with a focus on plantar fasciitis and gait issues. His knowledge in this field is considerable and he has helped many people understand and overcome these conditions. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities like running and hiking.

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