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What is Sports Physiotherapy?

D. Jeffress
D. Jeffress

Sports physiotherapy is the specialized branch of physical therapy which deals with injuries and issues related to athletics. Experts in sports physiotherapy may do research, help athletes recover from injuries, and provide education and resources to prevent problems. Therapy services are generally available to persons of all ages engaged in sports at any level of competition. Professionals may work in private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, or on site at athletic events.

Research efforts in sports physiotherapy lead to a better understanding of sports injuries and improved rehabilitation techniques. Scientists and engineers in biomedical research and development laboratories design equipment to help athletes recover from injuries and prevent future problems. For example, an engineer may design a new type of knee brace for an athlete with a torn knee ligament, a common injury in many sports. He or she may experiment with different types of materials and their configurations to create a comfortable, practical, supportive brace that an athlete can wear during activity. Much sports physiotherapy research is also dedicated to the development of better safety gear, such as helmets and mouthguards, to protect individuals in different sports.

Sports physiotherapists can help with rugby injuries.
Sports physiotherapists can help with rugby injuries.

Physicians and trainers who practice sports physiotherapy have extensive knowledge of the array of injuries that can occur when playing sports. Therapists help athletes overcome their injuries and return to their previous levels of activity by offering rehabilitation services and advice on preventing future issues. When an athlete is injured, he or she meets with a physiotherapist to discuss the problem and determine the best rehabilitation plan. He or she may be instructed to take medicine prescribed by a physician and participate in physical therapy sessions to regain strength and confidence. Throughout rehabilitation training, the therapist evaluates the athlete's progress and advises him or her on how to prevent another injury from occurring.

A person in sports physiotherapy wearing a knee brace.
A person in sports physiotherapy wearing a knee brace.

Depending on the type and severity of an injury, successful rehabilitation physiotherapy may take anywhere from a couple hours in light sessions to months or years of intensive training. Some competitive athletes meet with their therapists regularly over the course of their careers to assess the condition of lingering injuries and look for warning signs of that new ones may occur. Some experts provide counseling services to their long-term clients as well, helping athletes make the best career choices to promote their health and safety. With the guidance and treatment provided by skilled therapists and physicians, many athletes are able to fully recover from injuries and return to their sports with ease.

Discussion Comments

physioshane

I am a sports physiotherapist, and I agree it is a good profession as we genuinely help athletes achieve their dreams. However, that said, it is not as glamorous as you all think. You work long hours, work weekends and spend months away from family and friends.

angelBraids

My friend's husband works in the sports therapy field. His current job is with a foreign soccer team, and he gets to travel all over Europe with them. He seems to be kept pretty busy and he loves the work.

wander

I find the kind of research and development that sports physiotherapy focuses on when it comes to improving safety equipment quite interesting. Surprising to most, there are a great deal of advances that happen with sports equipment, and there is now controversy surrounding the use of certain materials.

Some people feel that the newer equipment is using technology that gives the wearer an advantage over others, due to the vast improvement in aerodynamics.

Do you think that sports equipment should be taken into consideration when awarding medals? Should all teams be forced to use the same equipment to keep the playing field even?

letshearit

If you are looking to find a rewarding career, working in sports physiotherapy can be a great way to help your local athletic community. Often there are jobs at universities and for sports teams that require the exclusive use of your time.

Getting to work with elite athletes is just one possibility with this job and it can also put you in the position to help everyday people in your home area.

The salary for a sports physiotherapist starts at about $50,000USD for those with no experience and goes up to about $80,000USD towards the end of the career. Depending on where you start working you can earn more, with universities paying quite a bit for those starting out.

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    • Sports physiotherapists can help with rugby injuries.
      Sports physiotherapists can help with rugby injuries.
    • A person in sports physiotherapy wearing a knee brace.
      By: Set
      A person in sports physiotherapy wearing a knee brace.
    • The anterior cruciate ligament is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee.
      By: Dirima
      The anterior cruciate ligament is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee.
    • Some physiotherapists are equipped to provide physical therapy to amateur and professional athletes alike.
      By: Rido
      Some physiotherapists are equipped to provide physical therapy to amateur and professional athletes alike.
    • A sports injury physiotherapist helps athletes prevent and recover from injuries and surgery.
      By: Monkey Business
      A sports injury physiotherapist helps athletes prevent and recover from injuries and surgery.