Clinical Treatment Skills You’ll Learn with a Sports Rehabilitation Degree

“Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion” – Michael Jordan 

From an athlete’s perspective, injuries can be a major setback in their sporting journey. Sports injury clinics play a big role in how physiotherapists are able to help athletes get their careers back on track. Imagine standing pitch side at your favourite football league game, watching their star player score a hatrick after coming back from injury. There would be nothing more rewarding than knowing that your rehabilitation and treatment plan helped them bounce back to their best. 

If you’re a keen sports fan, the physiotherapy route offers a great opportunity to turn your passion into a career. Let’s explore some of the clinical treatment skills you can learn with a BSc (Hons) Sports Rehabilitation degree. 

Diagnosis and Assessment  

Diagnosing and assessing an injury should be the first thing any physiotherapist does; you can’t devise a treatment plan if you don’t know what needs treating. Common questions include: 

- Can you tell me about your previous injury history? 

- Where does it hurt the most?  

- What is the pain stopping you from doing? This can be used as a reference to help physios work out where they need to start the treatment 

- What are your goals and what activity do you want to get back to? 

The more information a physio retrieves from the patient, the better position they are in to develop a detailed treatment plan that is tailored to give the most accurate care. 

Developing Treatment Plans  

Once physios know what they are dealing with, it’s time to develop a treatment plan that will help them nurse patients back to full fitness. Treatment plans should:  

- Address the patient’s individual goals 

- Address the physio’s clinical assessment findings, including pain and any structural or functional deficiencies  

- Measure objective aims to determine the effectiveness of the pain 

- Identify relevant treatment options, as well as advise alternatives if plan A doesn’t work 

Physios also need to consider an accurate timeline for a patient’s treatment plan. In some cases, athletes can be out of action for a long period of time, and devising the wrong timeline that results in the patient returning to action too soon could be more detrimental to their long-term fitness.  

Communicating with Patients Effectively 

Like with every other industry, effective communication is key. Clinician-patient communication can: 

- Improve patient satisfaction and improve their care experience  

- Help physiotherapists get a better idea of the patient’s injury history, which would help when diagnosing and making clinical decisions  

- Increase patient’s adherence to recommendations and follow-ups 

- Help patients self-manage chronic conditions

Let Bolton Help You Follow Your Passion! 

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation, you’ll want to know that the degree you choose will help you stand out in a rewarding field. At the University of Bolton, our courses are accredited by the British Association of Sports Rehabilitators, so it’s designed to help support your career ambitions; focusing on clinical diagnostics, patient management, and the comprehensive rehabilitation of musculoskeletal issues.  

By studying a BSc (Hons) Sports Rehabilitation degree, students benefit from direct access to the £31 million Bolton One building; home of the Sports and Spinal Injury Clinic and Athlete Development Centre which gives them the industry experience they need to succeed in their future sports rehabilitation job.  

Graduates have been able to put their learning into practice by providing treatment to international rugby teams, such as Wales and Fiji. Our experienced lecturers have worked at all levels of elite and professional sports, and they are happy to share their industry experience with students to enhance their knowledge.  

Interested in learning more? Take your first step in your sports journey by reading our full course details.  

Come and enjoy #UniAsItShouldBe; a supportive, friendly, and inclusive learning environment that puts students first.