Sports Therapy & Physiotherapy; Whats the difference?

Very often I get asked ‘what is the difference between yourself (Sports Therapist) and a physiotherapist?’ I hope to answer this question in this blog post as I feel it is important for the public to be informed about the choice of healthcare professionals available for them to see.

Sports Therapy is a relatively new profession and so many members of the public are often unaware of who we are and what we do. Along with this Sports Therapy has many overlaps with other professionals such as Physiotherapists and Massage Therapists so it not surprising some confusion exists.

Sports Therapy is not a protected title in the UK unlike Physiotherapy and therefore anyone can call themselves a Sports Therapist. In order to guarantee a Sports Therapist is properly qualified and insured please ensure you use a therpist who is a member of the regulating professional body for Sports Therapist. The two main regulating bodies are The Society of Sports Therapists (SST) and British Association of Sports Rehabilitators and  Trainer’s (BASRAT). The SST have described Sports Therapy as

‘An aspect of healthcare that is specifically concerned with the prevention of injury and the rehabilitation of the patient back to optimum levels of functional, occupational and sports specific fitness, regardless of age and ability. It utilises the principles of sport and exercise sciences incorporating physiological and pathological processes to prepare the participant for training, competition and where applicable, work.’

The skills and knowledge Sports Therapists posses have been outlined again by the SST, they:

'Has the knowledge and ability to provide first aid and attend to injuries in a recreational, training and competitive environment.

Has the knowledge and ability to assess and, where appropriate, refer on for specialist advice and intervention.

Has the knowledge and ability to provide sports massage pre and post activity.

Has the knowledge and ability to implement appropriate rehabilitation programmes.

Has the knowledge to utilise sports and exercise principles to optimise preparation and injury prevention programmes.'

Sports Therapists work pitch side dealing with acute injuries and provide sports massage and taping from year 1 as an undergraduate at University, so by the time they have graduated they are experienced in these skills. Additionally, sports science forms an integral part of their study and background which forms an excellent basis to study the musculoskeletal system, its biomechanics and injuries. They are also normally participants in sports and therefore know what is it like to be injured and the demands placed upon athlete’s in order to compete.

On the other hand, Physiotherapist’s have a more general healthcare education dealing with neurology and respiratory systems and there diseases and injuries as well as the musculoskeletal system. They do not routinely have any placements within the sporting environment at undergraduate level but are required to undertake 1000 hours of placement time in Hospitals and within the community. Those that go on to work in Sport will have normally had post graduate training to further there skills and incorporate skills such as massage and taping that are needed in this unique environment.

Physiotherapist title is protected by legislation in the UK and they will be members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) and on the Health Professions Council register (HPC). The CSP has described Physiotherapy

‘Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function to as near normal as possible when someone is affected by injury, illness or by developmental or other disability.’

Now you know the differences between Sports Therapist and Physiotherapists I imagine your next question would be who shall I see to treat my Sports/Musculoskeletal Injury? Well the answer is that it is entirely up to you. 

There are some fantastic Sports Therapist’s and some fantastic Physiotherapist’s who are both more than capable of treating your injury, so look at recommendations and experience of each practitioner and make your decision based on the individual and not their title. Make sure they are members of the relevant professional bodies and have the appropriate insurance and you won’t go wrong. Both of these professions are also able to refer you on for further investigations or to a more appropriate professional such as a Orthopedic Consultant or Podiatrist if necessary.

I hope you are now more aware of the differences between these two professions and able to make an informed decision about who you would like to see for your sports injury treatment and rehabilitation. Should you have any further questions on this or other relevant topics please leave a comment.

 

 

  

First Aid Training and Sports Coaches

Firstly, I want to say that sports coaches up and down the country do a fantastic job every week. Many of them are volunteer parents who run or help out with their child's team and without them many children wouldn't be able to enjoy participating in sport.

However, I was surprised to learn the other day that not all sport coaching courses include or require the participant to have had first aid training. I have seen some serious injuries in youth and adult sport over the last few months and had there not been a Sports Therapist, Physiotherapist or qualified First Aider on site things could have ended very badly. Some of these injuries include concussion, various fractures and unconscious casualty's and they happen surprisingly regularly.

In today's financial climate not all sports clubs are in a position to pay to have a professional on site especially at 'grass roots' level so does it not make sense that all sports coaches should have mandatory first aid training for the safety of everyone involved, this is certainly something I would like to see happen. Basic First Aid courses with St Johns Ambulance cost just £20 per person and take only a few hours of your time to complete. Some sports such as the FA and RFU run sports specific courses which I can say from personal experience are very good.

A club locally that I work closely with is fantastic with regards to player safety. Not only is there at least one Sports Therapist on site with Pitch Side Trauma qualifications but every single team from Mini's right up to 1st team in both Men's and Women's sections have a qualified first aider at every game every week. I am not saying this would be achievable for every club but every team can have a first aider at every game if coaches were first aid trained. Wouldn't this be great to see?

Below I have included some links to such courses:
RFU First Aid Course
St Johns Ambulance
The FA First Aid for Sport Course

  

Spondylolysis. A common injury in young cricketers.

Many sports fans are currently staying up late into the night watching in hope as England loses momentum in The Ashes. This event is perhaps the most important fixture in the cricket calender and will inevitably inspire many younger fans to give the sport a try for themselves. Cricket as with all sports comes with the risk of injury; common injuries include rotator cuff tears, contusions, ankle sprains and low back pain. I wanted to take this opportunity to write about a common cricket injury which is particularly common to the young bowler; Spondylolysis. In the general population the prevalence of this injury is around 8% but in throwing sports such as cricket this more than trebles to 27%.¹

 Spondylolysis is a stress fracture to the Pars Interarticularis of the vertebrae and it is the repetitive rotation, extension and side flexion of the spine in bowling that can cause this fracture. The most commonly involved vertebrae is L5 but L3 and L 4 can also be fractured. Symptoms of this injury may include unilateral (although sometimes bilateral) low back pain which is aggravated by extending the spine, particularly when standing on one leg, and tenderness over the fracture site.² It is important I point out that not all low back pain in young cricketers will be caused by Spondylolysis and the condition can also be asymptomatic so it is important to see a Sports Therapist or other medical professional for an assessment.

Prevention is always better than cure, so can this injury be prevented? Thankfully, there are things you can do to prevent this injury. As with many overuse injuries correct technique can help in avoiding them so ask your coach if you feel your bowling technique could be improved. If the spine is functional in a ‘normal’ manner you will be at a lower risk because the forces acting on the spine are lower. Having good posture is therefore important so make sure your posture is optimal and avoid slouching. You are at particular risk if you have excessive lordosis (curve) in your lower spine. Some research has found people suffering from Spondylolysis have tight hamstrings, so make sure your flexibility and range of motion is good; again ask a Sports Therapist or other medical professional for help with stretches to improve hamstring flexibility if this is a problem for you. ³ Tying in nicely with posture is core stability. Having good core stability will improve your posture and allow the muscles to support more of the spine’s movement; exercises such as the plank will help.

 If you do have Spondylolysis your Therapist is likely to initially rest you to allow the fracture to heal and to prevent the condition from progressing. Core Stability will be used to strengthen the stabilising muscles of the lower back and hydrotherapy may be used to maintain cardiovascular fitness during the rehab programme. When the fracture heals you will make a slow and controlled return back to sport, paying particular attention to rectifying any possible causes of the injury. This is where communication with your coach becomes of greater importance. Return to full sport could take 3 – 6 months but symptom resolution and healing is a far better indicator than time. ⁴  

Normally, this injury occurs unilaterally (on one side) but sometimes it can be bilateral (both sides) and this may take longer to recover from and carries the further risk of developing into Spondylolisthesis, which is another topic altogether.

Cricket is a fun sport enjoyed by many across the country and the globe. All sport carries the risk of injury but the benefits of sport far outweigh the negatives and when injury does occur most players make a full return to the sport they enjoy. The key is correct diagnosis and proper treatment and rehabilitation.   

Alex Dexter BSc (Hons) MSST

Graduate Sports Therapist

1 Soler, T. Calderón, C. 2000. The Prevelance of Spondylolysis in the elite Spanish athlete. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 28(1):57-62.  

2 MacAuley, D. 2007. Oxford Handbook of Sport and Exercise Medicine. Oxford University Press pp506-507

3 McCleary, M.  Congeni, J. 2007. Current Concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of Spondylolysis in young athletes. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 6(1): 62-66

4  Iwamoto, J. Sato, Y. Takeda, T. Matsumoto, H. 2010. Return to sports activity by athelets after treatment of Spondylolysis. World Journal of Orthopedics. 18(1): 26-30