What is Sports Therapy

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.  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 therapist who is a member of the regulating professional body for Sports Therapist such as the Sports Therapy Association (STA),  Society of Sports Therapists (SST), or the Sports Therapy Organisation (STO).

Sports Therapy is not complementary therapy or natural healthcare. It is a scope of practise that is predominately built upon evidence based principles in sport and exercise science, rehabilitation, therapeutic management and injury prevention (Society or Sports Therapists, 2012).

Sports therapy is a type of health care that specifically focuses on the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, returning a client to optimal levels of functional, occupational and sports specific fitness, regardless of age and ability, allowing the client to continue their pursuit with minimal disruption.

Sports therapy is not just for people involved in sport.

Musculoskeletal injuries do not just occur in sport, they are also common in everyday life, occurring in the work place as a result from poor techniques , poor posture, repetitive strain as well as tight muscles. Injuries may also occur when a load is placed on a structure (such as muscles or ligaments) which it can not cope with, this may be from an increase in activity or doing something out of the ordinary  to a fall or impact.