In this blog, I will talk to you about physiotherapy in sports clubs and my interest in that type of physiotherapy.

Sports Clubs

Sports Clubs are a group of people who form a sports association to play sports.

There are many different types of sports clubs such as;

• Football Clubs
• Rugby Clubs
• Cricket Clubs
• Ice Hockey Clubs
• Netball Clubs

All sports clubs will have some physiotherapy, whether that is internally or externally. This depends on the club’s size and how successful they are in terms of the amount of income they have.

What Is A Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist?

Sports and Exercise Physiotherapists job role is to prevent and manage injuries from sport and exercise participation at all ages and ability levels.

Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist specialises in providing safe treatment and advice on safe participation when an athlete is injured.

A considerable part of their role is to help athletes enhance their performance in their chosen sport; this is in all age groups and levels of ability.

Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist Job Role

A Sports Physiotherapist has many responsibilities and duties in their day to day job with athletes and the team as a whole. This includes;

Managing Athletes

A sports physiotherapist has to manage the team athletes for many reasons as if they are not managed correctly. They are more likely to get themselves injured.

The main areas a sports physiotherapist manage for athletes are;

• Injury Prevention

Sports physiotherapists assess the risk of injury associated with the sport they have participated in. A physiotherapist is equipped to inform and train their athletes, coaches, and other team members to reduce the occurrence and recurrence of injuries.

• Acute Intervention

Sports physiotherapists are skillfully trained in responding appropriately to acute injuries and illnesses in various situations such as training or competitions.

• Rehabilitation

Sports physiotherapists provide clinical reasoning and therapeutic skills to assess and diagnose sports-related injuries. They also intervene to aim a safe return for the athlete back into the sport after recovering from injury to the optimal performance level.

• Performance Enhancement

Sports physiotherapists contribute to the athlete’s enhancement of their performance by evaluating the athlete’s physical performance-related profiles and can intervene and advise their performance in their sport with the team.

Advising Athletes

A sports physiotherapist has to advise athletes on the team for many reasons as if they are not advised. Then they are more likely to get themselves injured.

The main areas a sports physiotherapist advises on for athletes are;

• Promotion Of Safe and Active Lifestyle

Sports physiotherapists provide evidence-based advice about their optimal activity and advice on ways to minimise the risk of injury.

• Promotion Of Fair Play and Anti-Doping Practices

Sports physiotherapists promote safe, professional and ethical sporting practices in their team. They stand by fair play and their duty of care for the athletes.

Treatment Techniques

A sports physiotherapist should use the most beneficial treatments techniques on athletes to help their performance improvement and injuries be reduced.

Treatment techniques to use on athletes;

• Mobilisation
• Massage
• Manipulation
• Exercise prescription
• Acupuncture
• Taping

However, the treatments techniques a sports physiotherapist use on athletes are all dependent on the athlete’s individual needs and the type of exposure they have had to injuries.

Main Focus Of The Job Role

The sports physiotherapist job role is mainly focused on injuries, and the following four themes emerge throughout the job;

• Injury Treatment
• Injury Prevention
• Rehabilitation
• Performance Enhancement

Qualities A Sports Physiotherapist Should Have

Sports physiotherapist should have good qualities, and they must possess these because this means they can deliver their work and skills professionally in the best possible way to athletes.

Qualities They Should Possess

• Professionalism
• Good personal qualities
• Accessible
• Communication skills
• Interest in the athletes that they are working with
• Being open-minded regarding athletes ideas to have the best management and advice being given to them

Qualities They Should NOT Possess

• Bad personal qualities
• Being unapproachable
• It is not a team player.

My Interest In Sport Club Physiotherapy

I am interested in physiotherapy in a sports club because I have always been a sporty individual, and researching physiotherapy in the sports sector has got me hooked on working with professional athletes.

Sports clubs will provide me with the experience working in my first choice of physiotherapy and working with professional athletes suffering from sporting injuries, and helping them on the recovery pathway to get back participating in their specific sport.

I can also help athletes enhance their performance which will help them develop as players, which will make the team better.

I would highly recommend anyone who has incurred an injury in a sport to see a sports physiotherapist, whether you are at an amateur level to a professional level.

Sports physiotherapists are specialised in sports injuries, prevention and rehabilitation.