What is Sport Rehabilitation?
Sport Rehabilitators help people suffering from pain, injury or illness involving the musculoskeletal system. They help people of all ages to maintain their health and fitness, recover from and prevent injury and reduce pain using exercise, movement and manual based therapeutic interventions.
What to expect from your Sport Rehabilitator?
An initial consultation will offer an in-depth interview and physical assessment to identify an appropriate diagnosis, any predisposing factors to injury and any other health related disorders. They will then use clinical reasoning to tailor a recovery plan to return you to optimum function and physical activity. You can expect your Sport Rehabilitator to integrate advice, education and rehabilitation into all aspects of your life.
Sport Rehabilitators are trained to carefully record and protect all personal information, including sensitive information relevant to their condition as part of the treatment session.
What might my treatment include?
Treatment will incorporate evidenced based therapeutic interventions and exercise with the plan being monitored and modified where needed. This could include exercise rehabilitation, graded activity, manual therapy, workplace assessment and modification, massage, taping / bracing and electrotherapy.
Sport Rehabilitators will use a complete approach, considering the whole needs of the individual to allow optimal recovery and placing the patient at the centre of their own care.
What sets Sport Rehabilitators apart?
Sport Rehabilitators have a strong focus on biomechanics, exercise rehabilitation and returning patients to high levels of function. The overall skill set and focus is why the Ministry of Defence chooses BASRaT registrants for their most demanding exercise rehabilitation roles.
Sport Rehabilitators treat a range of injuries including:
- Back pain – lower back pain, sciatica, disc problems and more
- Pains and sprains in ankles, knees, shoulder groin, hip etc
- Post-operative rehabilitation – (spinal, shoulder and knee surgery, joint replacements)
- Total knee replacement rehabilitation
- Achilles Tendinopathy
- Cruciate ligament rehabilitation
- Tennis elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Bursitis
- Injuries with an uncertain diagnosis
- Post spinal surgery
- Post trauma, including fractures
- Chronic pain
- Repetitive strain injuries
- Arthritis
Are there any risks associated with treatment?
Like any exercise and manual therapy profession, you could get some post treatment soreness, this is usually minimal and short lasting; your Sport Rehabilitator is trained to reassess the effects of treatment and modify depending on your reaction. Your Sport Rehabilitator will inform you of any risks associated with your treatment to allow you to make informed choices. They are also trained to refer on to other members of the healthcare team wherever that is appropriate.
Occasionally patients have skin reactions to treatments such as taping, massage mediums and manual therapy techniques, your Sport Rehabilitator will identify this and adapt their treatments accordingly.
In the vast majority of cases Sport Rehabilitators treats injuries quickly and successfully; in some cases it has made a life changing difference to patients.
Registration with BASRaT
BASRaT registered Sport Rehabilitators complete an accredited three year BSc honours degree or an accredited Masters degree. The course content and teaching methods are continuously monitored and annually audited by BASRaT to ensure consistently high standards.
For a graduate to be accepted onto the BASRaT register, and ensure they are both highly knowledgeable and experienced, Sport Rehabilitators must have completed a minimum of 400 hours of supervised clinical work in a range of environments and continue a rigorous process of continuing professional development which is audited annually by BASRaT.
BASRaT Register
BASRaT’s register is accredited by the PSA (Professional Standards Authority), the UK’s top medical regulator. Sport Rehabilitators on the BASRaT register have to adhere to a strict code of ethics, conduct and professional practice. All registered Sport Rehabilitators have comprehensive insurance, a current first aid qualification and follow strict standards for the management of medical records and appropriate referral to other members of the healthcare team.
The Evidence Base for Sport Rehabilitation Practice
The Sport Rehabilitation profession is based on an established and growing body of research that spans several hundred thousand research papers across the disciplines of medicine, rehabilitation, pathology, physiotherapy, biomechanics, physiology, sports science and the allied health professions. All BASRaT registrants must complete continued professional development activities in order to keep up-to-date on new information, practices, techniques and research.