Sports Therapist
Key roles
- conduct a fitness-level assessment on people involved in sport and exercise, and advise on exercises prior to an event or fixture
- test joints for ease and range of movement, pain and dysfunction
- mentally and physically prepare sports people before a competition and use strapping, taping and massage techniques where necessary
- provide emergency aid and basic life support in a sport and exercise environment
- examine and assess injuries and determine whether the sport and exercise participant can continue safely with the event or activity
- treat and manage injuries to alleviate pain
- rehabilitate injuries by using manual therapy techniques and exercise
- design and monitor rehabilitation programmes appropriate to the injury and/or sport and level
- decide whether extra treatments are needed and coordinate referrals to other practitioners
- work alone or with coaches, trainers and/or fitness advisers to implement exercise, conditioning, core stability and injury prevention programmes, so that sports people reach and maintain peak performance
- liaise with other healthcare professionals in the sports sector and in mainstream medicine.
England