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As a sports therapist you will be required to treat people of all ages and from different backgrounds using a variety of techniques, some of which may not actually involve massage. Your goal will always be to attempt to alleviate a patient’s pain, and return them to a fully functioning state as soon as possible.
The exact nature of your work will largely depend on the environment in which you are employed and the specialist skills you possess. In addition to treating the physical effects of injury, you may also find yourself attending to the emotional aspects of a patient’s injury since many patients may experience depression, low self-esteem and reduced confidence following such setbacks.
Sports Therapists are concerned with preventing injuries as much as they are with treating them, particularly when working in collaboration with a sports person(s) and club. The goal in this instance is to identify areas which are weak or prone to injury and feedback to the ‘Strength and Conditioning’ coach so that these factors can be addressed.
Self-employed therapists rely heavily on their professional image to attract new customers and qualifications are key to building this image; not many people would be tempted to visit an unqualified sports therapist!
As a minimum, you would need to possess a ‘Level 3 Certificate in Sports Massage’ in order to practice as a self employed Sports Massage Therapist; this qualification will also enable you to become a ‘Level 3 accredited member’ of the Sports Massage Association (SMA).
This is seen as the minimum qualification and anybody involved in Sports Therapy or massage should seriously consider completing additional qualifications to achieve ‘Level 4 Status’ with SMA.
Most people involved in sports therapy are self employed and operate their own clinics or practices. Many Personal Trainers offer sports massage as an additional product to their training services in order to generate another income source.
Some rehabilitation and therapy clinics employ ‘Level 3’ qualified therapists to perform some of the more basic treatments; advanced treatments must however be completed by experienced Level 4 practitioners.
Pay is directly related to the nature of employment and seniority within that position, salaries typically range between £18,000-£25,000.
Since many Sports Therapists are self employed and therefore charge per session, their income is not salary based. Sports Therapists usually charge between £25.00-£50.00 per hour depending on their qualification, experience and the nature of the treatment.
