Introduction

Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy is now recognised as a specialist area with growing numbers of physiotherapists seeking to work in this diverse and exciting field. People are increasingly encouraged to undertake sport and exercise as part of a healthier lifestyle. Although this has a number of global health benefits, a related caveat is an increased risk of injury. Currently, sporting injuries commonly present to the health professional; these injuries present a unique challenge in terms of their aetiology, management and potential for recurrence.

Sport is an enormous topic that we are unable to cover comprehensively in one course. This course will focus on developing an initial knowledge base by providing an overview of Sports Physiotherapy Practice based on the latest evidence available.  We will be exploring the Role of the Sports Physiotherapist, investigating how we assess sport both on and off the field and also exploring current trends in prevention, management and rehabilitation of sports injuries.  It is by no means an exhaustive exploration of Sports Physiotherapy and we advise you to use it as a starting point for your understanding of working within sport.

The responsibility of the pitch-side medical team has never been higher. Sport related healthcare professionals are under more and more scrutiny in terms of skill maintenance and professional development. The pitch-side physiotherapist has a duty of care to the team, but also a responsibility to update and improve their skills. This course will provide an introduction to the management of pitch side trauma. Physiotherapists working within Sport need to respond appropriately to acute injury or illness in both training and competition contexts, and require specific qualifications relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first responder skills.

Aims

To explore the concepts and issues related to Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy and the role of the individual physiotherapist and the physiotherapy profession in this context.

Outline

1. Section one: Functional Anatomy, Physiology & Biomechanics and The role of the Sports Physiotherapist.
2. Section two: Sport Injury Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Injury Prevention
3. Section three: Injury Assessment & Management
4. Section four: Rehabilitation & Return to Play

Target audience

This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy professionals, clinicians and students.