Often as a graduate sports therapist I get mistaken for
being a Sports Massage Therapist. It’s a tad frustrating as having completed a three-year
BSc it’s safe to say I’ve had a significant more amount of educational and
in-clinic training than a Sports Massage Therapist/Soft Tissue Therapist.
So, what’s the difference?
Sports Massage Therapist/Soft Tissue Therapist:
A Sports Massage/Soft Tissue Therapists will have the
scientific knowledge of and manual therapy skills to address specific of soft
tissue injuries, their function, and the result of manual therapy on injured
and uninjured tissues. They will have experience in anatomy, principles of
health & fitness, principles of soft tissue dysfunction, sports massage
treatment
Sports Massage is a Level 3 course focusing on injury
prevention and performance enhancement through manipulation of the muscles,
ligaments and fascia (debatable – will blog about next year).
Most high-quality Sports massage courses will be ITEC/BTEC/VTEC Level.
Many Sport Massage/Soft Tissue Therapists are registered with the Sports
Massage Association of as part of the Complimentary and Natural Healthcare
Council. However, there are other bodies they can be members of, and there is
no statutory requirement.
It is also important for the therapist to have attended a course approved by a professional body above, as there are many "fast track" courses out there which are not always providing quality courses.
Here is a brief summary of ITEC/BTEC/VTEC Levels:
3: Sports Massage Therapist - qualified to work on non-injured tissue.
4: Sports Massage Therapist - qualified to work on injured tissue
5: Sports Therapist/Massage Therapist - qualified to work on injured tissue, recognise sports injuries and prescribe rehabilitation exercises
6: Sports Therapist (can be diploma or graduate) - qualified to do all the above and diagnose soft tissue injuries using clinical reasoning.
It is also important for the therapist to have attended a course approved by a professional body above, as there are many "fast track" courses out there which are not always providing quality courses.
Here is a brief summary of ITEC/BTEC/VTEC Levels:
3: Sports Massage Therapist - qualified to work on non-injured tissue.
4: Sports Massage Therapist - qualified to work on injured tissue
5: Sports Therapist/Massage Therapist - qualified to work on injured tissue, recognise sports injuries and prescribe rehabilitation exercises
6: Sports Therapist (can be diploma or graduate) - qualified to do all the above and diagnose soft tissue injuries using clinical reasoning.
Graduate Sports Therapist:
First, the title of sports therapist is not a protected
title, so you’ll find most of us who are graduates us the term “graduate sports
therapist” or put our degree qualifications on all our paperwork.
I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of who is better a diploma or a graduate sports therapist as it depends on the practitioner not the qualification.
Diploma level 5 sports therapists often do courses on the weekend with coursework and exams during the course process and graduates spend 3 years developing the required skills while being assessed throughout.
I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of who is better a diploma or a graduate sports therapist as it depends on the practitioner not the qualification.
Diploma level 5 sports therapists often do courses on the weekend with coursework and exams during the course process and graduates spend 3 years developing the required skills while being assessed throughout.
A graduate Sports Therapist will have an undergraduate
diploma and would have completed a course verified by one of the sports
therapist professional bodies: Sports Therapy Association, Society of Sports
Therapists or the Sports Therapist Organisation. There is no statutory requirement
for regulation, but it’s best to find someone who is registered with one of
these professional bodies to ensure they are practising at the correct level and attending CPD courses.
Graduate Sport Therapists focus on the assessment, diagnosis
and rehabilitation of soft tissue injuries. While courses may vary, a graduate
Sport Therapist will have courses in anatomy, ethics, biomechanics & gait
assessment, fitness testing, injury prevention, sports massage, clinical assessment and decision
making, advanced manual therapy, sports nutrition and first aid/sports trauma
skills.
Both professions are helpful for people who participate in
sport and need to have appropriate insurance for their profession. Both can
provide sports massage for recovery, but only Level 6/Graduate Sport Therapists can assess and
diagnose injuries using clinical reasoning, and Level 5's can recognise sports injuries and prescribe appropriate rehabilitation exercises. This
becomes very important if you have an injury as Level 3 Sports Massage/Soft
Tissue Therapists should not be working with injured tissue, diagnosing injuries or prescribing exercises.
Sadly, many CPD providers are teaching techniques which are beyond the remit of lower level qualifications. This can cause problems for the therapist as they will likely not be insured for those techniques, and therefore, should not be using them in their practice or advertising them on their website.
It is important to know the qualifications of your therapist, if you're not sure just ask them. They are not always noted on their website and some therapists may be advertising abilities beyond their qualification level. If you're looking for a non-injury related sports massage a Level 3 will be suitable, however if you are having pain or are injured you should book in with a Graduate/Level 6 Sports Therapist for an assessment and rehab program.
Sadly, many CPD providers are teaching techniques which are beyond the remit of lower level qualifications. This can cause problems for the therapist as they will likely not be insured for those techniques, and therefore, should not be using them in their practice or advertising them on their website.
It is important to know the qualifications of your therapist, if you're not sure just ask them. They are not always noted on their website and some therapists may be advertising abilities beyond their qualification level. If you're looking for a non-injury related sports massage a Level 3 will be suitable, however if you are having pain or are injured you should book in with a Graduate/Level 6 Sports Therapist for an assessment and rehab program.
If you have any questions about sports massage and sports therapy,
please do not hesitate to email me: sara@prestigesportinjury.co.uk
