Description
Assess, plan, and deliver sport-specific rehabilitation to prevent and treat musculoskeletal injuries, restore performance, and guide safe return to play for athletes of all levels.
- • Plan and deliver individualized, sport-specific rehabilitation and performance programs to restore function, relieve pain, and prevent re-injury.
- • Perform and document a comprehensive sports physical therapy evaluation to determine diagnosis and impairments.
- • Review physician referrals, imaging, surgical reports, and medical history to guide the plan of care.
- • Test and measure strength, power, range of motion, balance, agility, and aerobic capacity; record outcomes.
- • Use functional and return-to-sport testing to set criteria, track progress, and inform clearance in collaboration with the medical team.
- • Progress and modify interventions, loads, and volumes based on response and stage of healing.
- • Administer therapeutic exercise, neuromuscular re-education, and manual therapy to optimize movement and performance.
- • Apply therapeutic modalities (e.g., cryotherapy, heat, electrical stimulation, ultrasound) as indicated.
- • Provide taping, bracing, and fitting or adjustment of sport-specific orthotics; recommend modification to an orthotist when needed.
- • Design and teach home exercise and recovery programs for athletes and families.
- • Educate athletes, parents, and coaches on injury prevention, workload management, warm-up, and return-to-play expectations.
- • Obtain informed consent and explain risks, benefits, and alternatives to proposed interventions.
- • Identify goals, expected timelines, and plans for reevaluation aligned with the sport season.
- • Document prognosis, plan of care, interventions, and outcomes in the electronic medical record.
- • Collaborate with athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, surgeons, and other practitioners to coordinate care.
- • Develop and supervise graded return-to-running, throwing, and plyometric progressions.
- • Conduct biomechanical and movement analyses, including video review, to identify technique faults and risk factors.
- • Lead group injury-prevention or screening programs for teams or clubs.
- • Direct, supervise, and communicate with physical therapist assistants and support personnel.
- • Provide vestibular and balance rehabilitation related to sport concussion when appropriate and within scope.
- • Fabricate simple supportive devices or padding and maintain therapy equipment.
- • Refer athletes to appropriate providers when findings are outside physical therapy scope or require further evaluation.
- • Discharge athletes when goals are met and provide performance maintenance plans and follow-up recommendations.
- • Participate in sports medicine research or quality improvement and apply evidence to practice.
- • Support community or team outreach with education and post-injury follow-up.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
