Role of Medical Support
The Medical Support team aim to ensure every player contracted to the club’s optimum health and well being. This is achieved by working within a multi disciplinary team consisting of Doctors (Professional Development Phase only), Physiotherapists, Sports Scientists and a Psychologist using where available, evidence based best practice to provide a suitable service. At foundation and youth development levels the players have access to physiotherapists at all training venues and games and twice weekly clinics for longer term rehabilitation. The role of the physiotherapists at these levels is to:
• Provide acute injury management and first aid at games and training
• Provide pitchside medical cover at academy fixtures
• Perform assessment and treatment of injuries within their scope of practice guided by research evidence including manual therapy, soft tissue manipulation, electrotherapy, cryotherapy and thermotherapy
• Design and implement appropriate rehabilitation programs utilising their skills, the knowledge and expertise of other disciplines within the team and the facilities available at the clubs venues including the gym containing strengthening and cardiovascular equipment
• Refer players appropriately internally to physiotherapy or strengthening and conditioning or externally to the players own G.P
• Maintain accurate, up to date and legally compliant note taking as specified by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists
• Maintain appropriate communication with other individuals involved in the care of the child including but not limited to, parents/guardians and members of staff, whilst adhering to patient confidentiality laws
• To assist the Sports Science department in all screening and testing collections as required and offer their knowledge and opinions at appropriate points in the process
The Medical Support teams provision of services changes at the professional development stage. Unlike the Foundation and Youth Development Phases these players do have access to a Club Doctor. It is the Doctors role to:
• Conduct all player pre signing orthopaedic and medical screenings before they sign with the club
• Share knowledge through the presentation of educational information to players on topics such as Infection Control and Sexual Health
• Assess and diagnose all non musculoskeletal complaints
• Treat or refer as appropriate within the laws of their profession
The Treatment and Management of Injuries
P - Protection (protect the area? Body part)
R - Rest (rest the area – no weight bearing)
I - Ice (ice the area and its surroundings)
C - Compression (keep area compressed)
E - Elevation (area should be elevated above the level of the heart)
This procedure is very important for the initial 48 hours after the injury has occurred and must be followed. Ice must be applied for 20 minutes every 2 hours.
NO HEAT should be applied either directly or indirectly this will only make the problem worse.
Role of Sports Scientist
The role of the sports scientist is provide support to the medical team in ensuring optimum health and well being of all contracted players at the club. This is achieved by working closely with physiotherapists, doctors and psychologists where appropriate. The role also requires communication with other institutions such as colleges and universities who help with the delivery of varies sections of the clubs needs when facilities and expertise aren’t available on site. At foundation and youth development phase the players have access to sports science support once per week and at professional development phase the support is given at each training session and match days. The role of the sports scientist at the foundation and youth development phases is:
• Aid the physiotherapist in longer term rehabilitation programs
• Provide progressive strength and conditioning once per week in a gym setting
• Maintain periodized plans for all S&C sessions
• Liaise with outside groups to provide regular fitness testing
• Conduct regular screening of all players to aid in the prevention of injury and liaise with physiotherapists on results
• Provide functional movement sessions to aid balance, co-ordination and basic leg strength
• Provide mobility sessions to aid flexibility and co-ordination
• Maintain appropriate communication with other individuals involved in the care of the child including but not limited to, parents/guardians and members of staff, whilst adhering to patient confidentiality laws
• Provide nutritional support to all players to aid performance
The role of the sports scientist at the professional development phase changes dramatically as at this stage all players have support at every day they attend training and match days. At this level the role of the sports scientist is:
• Provide pre training and post training strategies
• Maintain a comprehensive database of work to include monitoring of heart rate, training loads and intensities, hydration status, session content and session attendance per week/month
• Keep up to date anthropometric measurements of all players
• Design and implement group and individual strength and conditioning programs
• Implement regular functional screening to prevent injuries
• Working closely with the physiotherapists, design and implement rehabilitation programs for short and long term injuries
• Perform physical testing at regular times throughout the season, monitor and assess giving regular reports to the academy manager
• Assist the first team sports scientist in short, medium and long term rehab
• Collect heart rate data on behalf of first team sports scientist