Sports Therapists
Association of Hong Kong
What is Sports Therapy?
Sports Therapy is an aspect of healthcare specifically concerned with the prevention of injury and rehabilitation of athletes/patient. Athletes/patients are brought back to optimal levels of functional, occupational and sport-specific fitness regardless of age and ability.
Sports Therapy utilizes the principles of sport and exercise science incorporating physiological and pathological processes to prepare the athlete/patient for training, competition and where applicable, work.
What is Sports Therapists ?
A Sports Therapist (ST) is a graduate level autonomous healthcare professional specializing in musculoskeletal management to injury, exercise based rehabilitation and training programme aimed to return to sports and competition to athletes/patients. Sport Therapists have graduated with a Bachelor degree with Honors in Sport Therapy and/or Rehabilitation, or an equivalent course of study suitable for them to be recognized as a registered member of the Sports Therapists Association of Hong Kong (STAoHK), the professional body for sports therapists practicing in Hong Kong SAR., as well as the registered member to the equivalent professional bodies in the UK.
In general, sports therapists will focus on the following in a clinical and sports-specific setting:
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Assessment and referral as appropriate;
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Preventative exercise and related protocol planning and implementation;
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Conduct treatment that focuses on sports-related injury or movement issues;
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Rehabilitations that aims to return to sports;
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Collaborating with other medical professionals;
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Immediate and emergency care to athletes in pre-hospital settings.