Online Sports Physiotherapy Courses
Some of the most common online courses related to sports physiotherapy include:
Sports Physical Therapy: A course where the role of the sports physiologist on a sports medical team is central. Students learn to examine, evaluate, and diagnose injured athletes and provide emergency medical treatment when necessary. Topics include pre-season health screening, special needs of women and children athletes, and common skin issues and infections many athletes face.
Sports Kinesiology introduces students to the motor control functions that athletes rely on to perform various sports activities. They learn to perform kinesiological analysis of upper- and lower-body sports movements, such as pitching, running, and climbing. Issues that affect balance and equilibrium are also covered.
Sports Orthopaedic Therapy is a physical therapy class that examines methods for evaluating and treating sports ailments related to soft-tissue and bone injuries. Online participants learn to assess sports injuries that affect joint pain and mobility along with methods for providing relief through therapeutic exercise.
In Sports Injury Prevention, online students explore methods for applying athletic wraps to prevent or care for common sports-related injuries. Topics include the various types and uses of athletic tape available to sports physiotherapists, as well as uses and methods for applying ace bandages.
Therapeutic Exercise is a course that serves as in introduction to the concept of therapeutic exercise, wherein the patient uses certain forms of controlled exercise to recover from an injury. Students will learn about the three types of therapeutic exercise, as well as how and when to implement each of the three.
The Clinical Neurology course teaches students how neurological dysfunction can affect rehabilitation, including recovery from sports injuries. Students learn about the basics of the nervous system, as well as how diseases and disorders disrupt normal brain function.
Physical Therapy Ethics provides an overview of the ethical and legal aspects of health care delivery with a focus on the physical therapy field. Topics of study include patient confidentiality, consent, and resource allocation.
Program Information
Students hoping to participate in a hybrid form of learning have several paths to consider. A good start for most students is an Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapy Assisting (PTA), which allows graduates to work as support staff for physical therapists. Upon completion, students may attempt to enter the workforce, or continue their education through a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree program. Those seeking national recognition can attempt to become certified in sports therapy through the ABPTS (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties). Therapists specializing in sports injuries can find employment opportunities working for hospitals, clinics, health clubs, and spas, as well as professional, college, and school sports teams.
For physical therapists who are interested in providing treatments for athletes, there are online courses and partially online programs that cover a variety of relevant topics related to treatment and performance.
