Changing Lives - October 2011
Changing lives - its not only sports people that benefit from sport rehabilitation!
80 year old Edith had spent several years being shuffled around the healthcare system, with progressively deteriorating severe low back pain. It had reached the stage where she was trapped on her ground floor, no longer able to climb the stairs, with walking being a slow, painful and increasingly infrequent chore. Sadly, no one was able to help, she couldn’t lie down for treatment, couldn’t do any exercises and everyone she saw was unwilling to touch someone when even the lightest pressure resulted in severe pain.
It was at this point in early 2010 that her next-door neighbours brought her into the University of Salford Sports Injury and Rehabilitation Clinic. Second years Kelly Clinton and Charlotte Burns were the Sport Rehabilitation students who treated Edith from the very beginning. With compassion and care she was treated with reassurance, education, then gentle massage in a seated position.
The students gradually progressed this until gentle mobilisation, spinal stability exercises and finally lower limb and whole body balance / strengthening could be added. The results were remarkable and in Ediths words, “I’ve gone from an old woman, bent, with a stick, who couldn’t go up or down stairs. Now I can walk faster without pain, go up and down stairs, I can leave my stick at home. I feel great, 15 years younger and like I’ve been given my life back!”
International Appointment - May 2011
Angela Clough, a liaison to the BASRaT Executive Committee and Hull University’s Director of Sports Rehabilitation has been made a member of the
International Academy of Musculoskeletal Medicine (IAMMM).
Angela Clough has been invited to join the academy after serving for the past four years as co-editor of the International Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. She will now work alongside other experts, clinicians and universities from around the world in helping to shape the future of the industry.
Angela Clough from the Department of Sport, Health and Exercise Science at the University of Hull says: “Getting the chance to work with the academy is a real honour. From a personal perspective, I will be able to help shape professional teaching methods and form links with the best experts in the field.
We have a strong department at the University and our work with the academy will help to bring further academic kudos - ensuring we continue to attract top quality candidates and produce excellent sport rehabilitators.”
Health Professions Council - Update March 20th 2011
from BASRaT Chair, Steve Aspinall
Following the latest news about statutory regulation, it is now clear there are a number of issues that need to be addressed / resolved prior to this progressing through the legislative processes in a timely fashion. The Health Professions Council (HPC) made a surprising decision in February, and to all intents and purposes they did miss a number of stages of the statutory regulation process, there are obviously organisations who have significant concerns about the validity of this decision. It is also clear from the coalition government's following white paper (see below for a link to the paper)that the goal posts have moved, but whether that affects our profession is also dependent upon the perceived potential for public harm by our professional area. There have obviously been discussions about the timing of the HPC announcement followed almost immediately by the release of the white paper, whether it was deliberate or coincidence remains to be seen. Regardless, the HPC currently do not know yet how this will proceed, they have a meeting on the 31st March to discuss and further examine all of these issues, I will pass on any news shortly after that. It is also worth noting that the coalition proposed voluntary registers for future healthcare regulation, detailed in the white paper, will be carried out by existing regulators (HPC for our field) and could be an effective way to regulate, it really would depend on the execution.
" Enabling Excellence: Autonomy and Accountability for Health and Social Care Staff " -
LINK TO DEPT. OF HEALTH WEBSITE PAPERS
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Health Professions Council - February 21st 2011
from BASRaT Chair, Steve Aspinall
Following on from the statutory regulation process recently grinding to a halt at the end of 2010, with the Health Professions Council (HPC) sending out communications to that effect, the HPC agreed last week to make a formal recommendation to the Secretary of State for Health and to Scottish Ministers for the regulation of the professional area of Sport Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy.
The History of Statutory Regulation for Sport Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy
Back in 2005 both BASRaT and the Society of Sports Therapy (SOST) submitted applications to the HPC for statutory regulation of their respective bodies. Although both bodies had met to discuss working together on this process, BASRaT's minimum standards of a high quality BSc (Hons) degree were incompatible with the variable level of qualifications to enter the SOST register at that time, hence two separate applications were advised by the HPC. Following the submission of the documents, the SOST application was heard first, and there was a subsequent decision by the HPC that only one application would be accepted for the professional area that covers both Sport Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy, so the application and subsequent documents continue from this document.
It is important to note at this stage that the statutory regulation application is not made for a professional body, but for a professional area and scope of practice. All professional bodies working in this field are involved in the statutory regulation process at every step of the way, in this case both BASRaT and the SOST have been attending regular meetings and working parties to move this process forwards, along with other interested parties including the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. There were a number of issues to address which all parties worked on, and culminated in the SOST submitting a document to the HPC examining the overlap between our area and other Allied Health Professions in July 2010. This is when the process appeared to come to a stop, to be resurrected last week.
What next?
The process is now in the hands of the politicians, but this is obviously a major and timely development in the process. The regulated titles for this profession, for Sports Therapists, Sport Rehabilitators and others, is still open to debate, but we will keep you updated. BASRaT will obviously work to ensure that these future standards are not just focused on the minimum requirements of a BSc (Hons) degree, but commensurate with those of a safe and effective healthcare professional, which has always been the standard in our accredited programmes. The proposed register will be open to all professionals who can meet the minimum standards, although the majority of appropriate courses in this area come under the auspices of either the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers or the Society of Sport Therapy.
HPC Decision Meeting Summary - PDF document.
Link to HPC Website - detailed of minutes and documents.
A New Year - a changing Britain - February 2011
from BASRaT Chair, Steve Aspinall
This last year has certainly been a
time of demanding change, and 2011
promises to offer not only bigger
challenges, but also opportunities for
positive change that we haven’t seen
for a long time. The NHS and our
health service are being completely
restructured, with a very clear emphasis
on de-centralisation and a shift to
local control. The recent white paper,
“Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our
strategy for public health in England”,
gives a clear indication of where the
governments priorities lie for the
future and they acknowledge that they
can “no longer sit back while so many
people are suffering severe lifestyledriven
ill health and such acute health
inequalities”. In practice, this means that
local government are going to have the
freedom, responsibility and funding to
develop ways of improving public health
with rewards and incentives for positive
results. This will go hand in hand with a
much simpler new public health service,
‘Public Health England’.
There is a clear plan to work hand
in hand with industry, both in specific
work related health issues and general
health, and it’s clear to see why this
needs to happen by considering just a
few of the frankly astronomical health
related costs the UK faces. For example,
just by reducing working age ill health,
the UK could save up to a staggering
£100 billion a year, add to this the £4.2
billion per year cost of obesity related
illness to the NHS alone and you can
start to see the fi nancial drivers for
the future of healthcare. Another key
fact of crucial importance in the area
of physical capacity and good health,
some 17% of people claiming incapacity
benefi t have a musculoskeletal condition,
many of which are preventable. Then
there is the aging population to consider.
Hip fractures are currently the most
common injury resulting from falls
in older people, with the cost of hip
fractures being a staggering £1.4 billion
per year, and these are just the black and
white costs, the personal and emotional
costs can be much higher. Again, a
substantial portion of risk factors for
falls can be addressed.
Where is our place in this? Although
we are a comparatively tiny profession,
we occupy a key place in the healthcare
team. Our in depth education and
focus in the area of exercise therapy
and rehabilitation allows us to make
an invaluable contribution to all the
above areas, and many more, working
alongside GP’s, Physiotherapists,
Podiatrists, exercise and health
practitioners and fitness instructors. We
are currently working on a number of
national strategies to develop effective
and appropriate exercise referral
schemes and healthcare practice
frameworks, sitting on committees
alongside other national regulators, the
DoH and numerous Royal Colleges
amongst others. As well as these
areas, we also have important roles
to play in vocational and occupational
rehabilitation. These are specific areas
that will become more and more
prominent in the coming years.
On a final note, I wish you all well for 2011 and
urge you to focus on our strengths
and how successful we can be
when working not only
individually, but more
importantly as part
of a comprehensive
healthcare team,
as that is where
the patients will
receive the greatest
benefit, and that, at the
end of the day is what it’s
all about.
Military Medical Personnel awarded MOD contract - September 2010
BASRaT are pleased to announce that Military Medical Personnel have been awarded approved supplier for the provision of Sports Rehabilitators to the Ministry of Defence.
With effect from January 2011 MMP will be one of only three locum agencies able to supply locum healthcare staff to the Army, Navy, RAF, and British Forces Overseas. For information on current and future vacancies or more information about the ERI role please contact Jenny Scott on 08459000196 or via email jenny@militarymedicalpersonnel.com.
BASRaT Members should log in to their homepage for current employment opportunities.
Students cross the Atlantic to experience University life at Salford - August 2010
 Twenty five students from Winona State University (WSU), Minnesota, travelled across the Atlantic to experience student life at Salford.
The semester-long exchange is part of the ongoing partnership between Salford and WSU to enhance student experience, combine expertise by facilitating Faculty exchanges and open up collaborations over particular research projects involving biomechanics in sport.
The group was made up of students from exercise science, athletic training, physiotherapy and nursing disciplines. During the exchange students were able to experience social education with experiential learning to get a real insight into student life at Salford. One WSU students said, “We had a big group discussion comparing our schools and culture in general. It was fascinating to learn the differences between the two.”
Sports students visited University partners grounds, including Salford City Reds, Sale Sharks, Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC), Manchester City and Sportcity. Students also enjoyed tours of the Human Performance Lab Sports Injury and Podiatry Clinic.
Dr Brian Zeller, Lead Tutor at WSU commented, “The technology is amazing; it was really interesting how much they could determine just by looking at the different body mechanics.”
But it wasn’t all hard work, the WSU students also enjoyed the social scene Salford has to offer and were taken to a Twenty20 game at Old Trafford, courtesy of LCCC, allowing them to contrast this exciting form of cricket with their own experiences of baseball!
It is envisaged that a number of students from the School of Health, Sport and Rehabilitation Sciences will be taking up the opportunity to study at WSU for a semester this coming academic year.
Julian Hatcher, Programme Leader for BSc Sports Rehabilitation, and one of the organisers of the visit said, “The visit has been a great success and we look forward to repeating it again in Olympic year 2012.”
University of the West of England (UWE) Students at the European Touch Championships, July 2010
 UWE hosted the eighth European Touch Rugby Championships this summer, the biggest tournament since its inception in 1996 in the southern hemisphere.
Each team played up to four 40 minute games a day of fast competitive Touch Rugby and therefore required some much needed therapy to keep going!
UWE provided a therapy and sports massage clinic manned by Undergraduates from the BASRaT accredited BSc Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation (STaR) programme and supervised by Martin Ward a Senior Lecturer from the STaR programme.
Students work through the night at Cross-Pennine challenge
MEGAHIKE - June 2010
 Two groups of Sports Rehabilitation students from The University of Bolton and The University of Salford, came together to help participants complete the challenge of walking 50miles across the Pennines. MEGAHIKE is a team fundraising event in aid of the MedEquip4Kids charity based in Manchester, which helps children with ill-health access the very best healthcare facilities. The aim of the event is to raise £90,000 for the charity.
The students who attended the event camped at the venue and worked through the night to provide support for the teams of participants who were striving to finish the gruelling hike. The students were supervised by Salford graduate Mike Carolan and Adam Naylor from Bolton University. Mike commented that the students worked exceptionally hard and the participants were grateful for their efforts throughout the 24 hour event.
The event allowed students to apply therapy skills they learn in Sport Rehabilitation practical lectures at University in an intense but enjoyable environment.
Sports Rehabilitation students re-invigorate runners:
Great Manchester Run, May 2010
 Sports Rehabilitation students from the University of Salford helped ease pre-race niggles and post-race aches for runners at the Manchester 10k, all in aid of the RNLI. The Great Manchester Run attracts more than 10,000 participants each year and is the UK’s premier 10k race.
A team of nine 2nd and 3rd year BSc (Hons) Sports Rehabilitation students rewarded the efforts of the lifeboat charity fundraisers with a revitalising post-race massage, whilst other participants were able to enjoy a massage in return for a small donation. Lisa Rutter, RNLI Events Manager, North, thanked the students for their efforts for the third year running.
 Salford graduate Allan Munro, who supervised the students at the event, said “It’s great that we can help a charity like the RNLI. The students enjoyed the experience and were more than happy to give their time to help the runners who raise a huge amount of money for the charity.”
“It was also great to be able to raise further contributions from other runners at the event and the atmosphere around the tent was fantastic.”
Great Britain Basketball Women’s U20s Pre-European Championships Camps - Summer 2010
 Summer 2010 saw Great Britain’s U20 women’s team embark on a new development with a new management team in place in preparation for the upcoming division B European Championships in Macedonia.
As part of this team graduate Sports Rehabilitator Michael Carolan was drafted in as medical support working in conjunction with the team physio Michelle Angus. This initially encompassed pre camp fitness testing alongside Allan Munro and a group of Sports Rehabilitation students from Salford University.
During the initial selection camp at Leigh Sports Village, Manchester, Mike was consulted on player fitness and appropriateness for selection by the head coach Damien Jennings.
Allan Munro was also present to help with both the Men and Women’s teams whilst identifying any potential areas for individual improvement from the initial fitness screening and testing session.
After this Mike worked independently seeing to the teams needs regarding injury management, recovery from training and appropriate hydration and nutritional intake, in constant communication with the staff regarding player fitness and maintaining a good rapport with the players to ensure an elite level service to the team and for Great Britain. The team was then based in three camp locations in Leigh, Bristol and Surrey where the girls played against several different opposition, finishing with Mike being part of an excursion to Austria to play their U20 women’s team in two matches.
This was a proud experience that Mike will cherish and never forget and will see him strive for further achievements and to work at this level in the future. With thanks to Lee Herrington, Allan Munro, Damien Jennings, Matt Johnson, Marlies Keiffer, David Bailey, Michelle Angus and congratulations to the players on winning the Division B European Championships and gaining promotion to Division A.
BASRaT members contribute to Sport Injury text - May 2010
A new text book released recently by Wiley-Blackwell, written for students and graduates of sport rehabilitation
and related professions, features several contributions from Graduate Sport Rehabilitators and BASRaT members.
“The past three years have seen the emergence of degree courses devoted to sports
rehabilitation and the number is growing,” said Co-Editor Earle Abrahamson of Middlesex University.
“Currently students, graduate sports rehabilitators and sports therapists have to rely
on textbooks within physiotherapy, medicine and physiology. This will be the first book
written specifically for them.”
“With growing numbers of people participating in both competitive and recreational sporting and
fitness activities, there has been an increase in both major and minor sport related
injuries,” said Co-Editor Paul Comfort of the University of Salford. “The trained sport rehabilitator
is concerned with the scientific evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of
injuries as a result of sports and exercise participation, and this is the first time all of these
areas are brought together in one book.”
BASRaT link with Military Healthcare - February 2010
Military Medical Personnel and BASRaT are pleased
to be working together to provide fantastic locum
opportunities for Graduate Sport Rehabilitators to work within the MOD.
MMP specialize in providing healthcare locums to the
MOD and our recruiters have a combined experience of over 20 years.
For more information please contact Jenny on 08459000196 or
you can view their website at www.militarymedicalpersonnel.com
BASRaT Members should log in to their Member homepage to check for employment opportunities.
BASRaT Student exchange heads stateside! - January 2010
Linsey Woolstencroft, a student of Salford University Sport Rehabilitation went on an exchanged trip to Minnesota, USA and gave us this account of her trip.
" Setting off to the States early in January this year kicked off my 2010 with a great deal of excitement. I studied for a whole semester at Winona State University in Minnesota on an exchange program with the Athletic training department, along with 2 other students from the University of Salford. Whilst there, we worked with the whole range of college teams, including American Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Gymnastics, Softball and Baseball.
The Athletic Training room pretty much became a second home for 4 months, where ice, electrical stimulation and taping became our best friend. We were also able to exchange the different techniques between the Athletic Trainer and the Sports Rehabilitator, and see how we could improve each other’s practice.
I also attended their normal college lectures, experiencing college life in the USA as well as attending external placements in a variety of settings, from the surgical to rehabilitation centres.
The time in the athletic training room really was a fabulous opportunity to see what a difference you can make to the lives of athletes when you are there for them on a daily basis. They are able to build a great relationship between their athletes and coaches, and in turn that communication and trust means that you are able to do far more than just ‘fix an injury’.
Overall though, I realised that the main difference between our professions and educational programmes are only in the techniques used; our goals are still the same. It has made for an unforgettable experience, which has helped shape my role as a Sports Rehabilitator ".
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