What is an Athletic Therapist?
Athletic Therapists are graduate level autonomous healthcare practitioners, who are trained solely in Sports and Exercise Medicine, specialising in clinical assessment and examination, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of neuromusculoskeletal injuries and diseases. Additionally, they emphasise on the design, prescription and implementation of exercise and rehabilitation programmes in both health and disease. 

What is Athletic Therapy?
Athletic Therapy is a healthcare service for people, that is specifically concerned with the improvement, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the patient back to optimum levels of functional, occupational and sport-specific fitness, regardless of age and ability. It helps to reduce and alleviate pain, improve and eliminate symptoms, increase muscle strength and joint range-of-motion, and improve fitness and overall health of the patient.

Athletic Therapists treat a range of neuromusculoskeletal injuries and disorders including:

• Back pain – lower back pain, sciatica, disc problems, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis etc.
• Muscle pains and cramps
• Pre-operative and post-operative rehabilitation of menisci, ligaments (ACL etc.), joints (knee, shoulder, hip etc.)
• Total joint replacement rehabilitation (knee, hip etc.)
• Tendinopathies (tennis and golfer’s elbow, Achilles, adductors, shoulder etc.)
• Non-specific neck pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Bone fractures
• Chronic pain and overuse syndrome
• Arthritis

What might treatment include?
Athletic Therapists have been trained in the use of various techniques, tools and methods including:

– Manual Therapy – Joint mobilisation
– Therapeutic massage
– Exercise Rehabilitation (specialised strengthening programmes)
– Electrotherapy – Ultrasound
– Cryotherapy/Thermotherapy
– Kinesiotaping and strapping application
– Aquatic Therapy

Where do Athletic Therapists work?
Athletic Therapists work, either as autonomous healthcare practitioners, or in close partnership with other healthcare professionals at:
– Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Clinics
– Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centres
– Athletic Clubs
– Sports Centres