Sports Therapy is an aspect of healthcare that is specifically concerned with the prevention of injury and the rehabilitation of the patient back to optimum levels of functional, occupational and sports specific fitness, regardless of age and ability.
It utilises the principles of sport and exercise sciences incorporating physiological and pathological processes to prepare the participant for training, competition and where applicable, work.
A Sports Therapist is a healthcare professional who has the knowledge, skills and ability to:
utilise sports and exercise principles to optimise performance, preparation and injury prevention programmes
provide the immediate care of injuries and basic life support in a recreational, training & competitive environment
assess, treat and, where appropriate, refer on for specialist advice and intervention.
provide appropriate sport and remedial massage in a sport & exercise context
plan and implement appropriate rehabilitation programmes
Sports Therapists are not Physiotherapists, but Sports Therapists will apply “physiotherapy” skills because physiotherapy is defined as “the treatment of disease, injury or deformity by physical methods including massage, heat treatment, electricity and exercise, rather than drugs or surgery”
http://www.society-of-sports-therapists.org/