Sports and Exercise

What is Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy?

Sports and exercise physiotherapists are involved in the prevention and management of injuries resulting from sport and exercise participation at all ages and at all levels of ability. These physiotherapists provide evidence-based advice on safe participation in sport and exercise. Furthermore, they promote an active lifestyle to aid individuals in improving and maintaining their quality of life. 

Sports and exercise physiotherapists work in a wide variety of settings. Many work with active recreational athletes in private practice or clinic settings. They can also be involved in social and club level sports and attend training sessions. Sports and exercise physiotherapists often work in the elite athlete setting in competitive and professional sports, working and travelling with elite individual athletes or teams, and integrating their services with other medical professionals, coaches, strength and conditioning personnel and other support staff. 

Sports and exercise physiotherapy treatment may include hands-on treatment techniques, taping or bracing, sport technique modification, education, specific exercise prescription and programs for injury prevention or return to sport. Sports and exercise physiotherapists can also help guide the most appropriate exercise programs for whole teams or organisations, not just individuals. 

Who can they help?

Areas of practice within sports and exercise physiotherapy relate to specific injuries, conditions and sports. These might include working with:

  • People with pain or injury associated with sport or exercise
  • People with acute injury such as muscle or tendon tear, ligament injury or fracture
  • People needing rehabilitation following surgery
  • People with ongoing tendon or muscle pain
  • People with an injury or issue related to a specific sport
  • People needing assessment of capacity for safe return to sport
  • Injury risk assessment 
  • Injury prevention programs
  • Assistance in improving sports performance.

Specialist Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy

Specialist sports and exercise physiotherapists have attained formal recognition of their expertise via Fellowship of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. This is the highest level of clinical qualification available in Australia.

Specialist sports and exercise physiotherapists are often involved in providing second opinions or specialist care for people with these more complex sports and exercise conditions. This can work in a variety of different ways. They may provide:

  • Shared-care (collaboration with the doctor and local/treating physiotherapist or other health professional)
  • Specialist care (a course of treatment delivered by the specialist physiotherapist, potentially as part of a multidisciplinary approach. Common for more complex cases)
  • Broader recommendations for management (eg. around diagnosis, recovery expectations and referral to other medical or healthcare specialists).

Every person has their story

Kate's Story

Kate is an active mother of two young children who joined a recreational running group for mothers and aims to complete a half-marathon. Kate has been referred to a specialist sports and exercise physiotherapist by her local physiotherapist for management of persistent Achilles tendinopathy that is impeding her running.   

Kate will receive a modified training plan to allow continued exercise alongside effective, evidence-based injury rehabilitation so that she can achieve her half-marathon goal.

Specialists

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