Introduction

Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy is an exciting field for many clinicians. Working with athletes of all levels can be challenging but also very rewarding. People are encouraged to participate in sport and exercise as part of a healthy and active lifestyle. With all the many benefits of exercise, there is also the risk of injury. Sports clinicians are involved in the prevention, management and rehabilitation of sports and exercise-related injuries, while also providing support for performance. This programme provides an overview of many of the basic principles of injury classification, the stages of healing, injury risk and prevention, key rehabilitation considerations and safe return to sport. It advocates for ethical practice in sports and a holistic approach towards the management of the athlete, also considering the athlete’s mental health, motivation and resilience.

Aims

This programme aims to provide an overview of the world of sports clinicians - the intricate injury mechanisms, healing and biomechanics, injury risk and prevention, rehabilitation, return to sport principles and decision-making processes involved in helping athletes reach their performance goals.

Outline

This programme will cover the following topics:

1. Injury and Healing in Sports Physiotherapy
2. Injury Type and Classification
3. Principles of Exercise Physiology and Adaptation
4. An Individualised Approach to Overuse Injuries
5. Clinical Biomechanics in Sport
6. Risk factors and Injury Mechanisms in Sports
7. Musculoskeletal Injury Risk Screening
8. Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention
9. Rehabilitation in Sport
10. Principles of Load Management in Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation
11. General Principles of Exercise Rehabilitation
12. Return to Sport
13. The Role of a Sports Physiotherapist
14. Ethical Considerations in the Child and Adolescent Athlete
15. Mental Health Considerations for Athletes
16. Motivation and Resilience for Athletes

Target audience

This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy clinicians, students and assistants. Other interested professionals such as athletic trainers, occupational therapists, nurses or medical doctors interested in this subject are also invited to participate.