Physio's why join the Sports Massage Association ?

If you are an undergraduate physiotherapist, masters physio student or recent graduate, information on 'real world' activity, can be hard to get hold of.

If you enjoy sports, chances are that part of the reason you chose to train as a Physio, was because you wanted to work in that 'field'.

It could be that you like being around and enjoy working with people who have a certain proactive, positive attitude, often only found in competitive people.

So, you trained as a Physiotherapist, probably thought you would get an NHS first rotational post. BUT, no-one told you that jobs were scarce.
So maybe you are in your second year, and start to hear murmours about unemployment. Then in year two, going around on placements, the reality starts to hit home.

74% unemployment for recent grads.

So what to do?

Well what about working with sports, and teams?

So you start to look for a massage training,and cant decide which one to do.

  So the question to ask yourself, is .....

Do I want to be a Physiotherapist who does sports massage OR a Sports Massage Practitioner. Because the two things are different.

When I set up running APNT Sports Injuries and Massage courses, I had no idea that Physiotherapists were no longer trained in massage.

I found myself in a situation where I as turning Physios away from the courses I ran.

So now I run massage courses for Physiotherapists, who still want to work as Physiotherapists.

Courses for Physiotherapists who want to use sports massage, but who want to work independently, using deep tissue techniques as a part of their clinical work.

So, the question I am always asked ...

Is it really necessary for a Physiotherapist to join the Sports Massage Association, and my answer is NO.

A Physiotherapist does not need to join the SMA if they want to work as an HPC registered MCSP member, using their CSP professional indemnity insurance, and practicing "sports massage", in other words, soft tissue techniques, specific to muscle injury, for sports people, and others.

Why?

Because massage, or soft tissue manipulation techniques are a core skill, and you are insured to do it.

Trouble is the universities just dont train you to do it.

But I will