GAA and Sports Therapists...something changed?

entropi

Heard from a college tutor today that the GAA, who have had a long standing tradition of allowing sports therapists to work with their teams, have recently said something about them not being preferred anymore, and are turning back to chartered physios, as the physios were complaining they didnt get enough work or something along those lines??

Anybody here able to shed some light on that? as it would totally suck as i'm training in sports therapy right now, should be qualified in sports massage by 2010 and would love to work with a team or one who emply a physio to work alongside once i'm starting sports massage and further along the line.

Hitman Actual

The only mention of this is a link from last Thursdays Independent. I didn't even realize that they are two different disciplines, tbh. It's hard to know what to make of this as the GAA are being so quiet about it.

rubyrua

I think this is shocking!!! My brother qualified two yrs ago in sports injuries after studying really hard part time for three years. He has worked really hard to get established and alot of his clients are GAA players obviously.
In this economic climate I cannot believe it would even be considered for the gaa insurance not to cover sports therapists! how could the GAA be the cause of so many sports therapists going out of work? Its just unbelieveable.
There has always been a certain animosity between chartered physios and sports injuries as the chartered physios are trying to have a monopoly :mad: on the whole injuries rehabiliation etc. How could this be allowed? Nobody should be afraid of competition - in most instances sports therapists are cheaper to visit then physios and I think thats what its really boiling down to.
"The move, which was taken by the Association's Medical Committee that includes respected figures like Dr Pat O'Neill and Dr Niall Moyna" - No coincidence that these to 'respected figures' will not be affected! :rolleyes: typical really

Racing Flat

If you want to be covered by your insurance for having a scan, you need to be referred by a doctor - they are the recognised expert. Similarly Chartered Physiotherapists would be seen as those with the most appropriate training to deal with all of the aspects of sports injuries. Their medical background having dealt with neurological and orthopaedic patients etc. as part of their training means they may be appropriately skilled to pick up on someone coming with a bad back which is really cancer for example. Someone without the medical background might not pick up on this - a very dangerous situation. Similarly, a chronic painful ankle might be seen as a sports injury rather than a diabetic neuropathy if someone doesn't have adequate training. Premiership football clubs must have a Chartered Physiotehrapist on board, many professional sports bodies are implementing similar rules.

Fair enough sports therapists may be excellent at what they do, but they are not the recognised experts (probably because they lack the medical background). It's not really to do with competition or anything like that - just best practice.

Rogueish

What is happening is that another insurance company has taken over the GAA Player Injury Insurance scheme. The new company consulted with the GAA insurance sub committee with a view to reducing costs (claims). It was put forward by the committee that there was a large percentage of claims for player injury treatment signed off by therapists who were not physiotherapists or doctors. It was decided that they would only accept claims signed off from physiotherapists.

This was a decision made by the GAA Insurance sub committee and the insurance company.

It was only later that it came to the attention of the members of the medical committee inclusive of Dr. Pat O'Neill and Dr. Niall Moyna. When they met the Insurance committee to discuss these developments it was decided that this change in policy would be reviewed by the Medical committee.

As it now stands the medical committee are reviewing the different professions that work with the GAA and will make their decision on a profession by profession basis. It is up to each professions governing body to make representation to the GAA.

There has been no implementation of the 'Physiotherapist only' policy. As far as I am aware last years insurance procedures still stand but there will be changes.

taidghbaby

Racing Flat wrote: »

If you want to be covered by your insurance for having a scan, you need to be referred by a doctor - they are the recognised expert. Similarly Chartered Physiotherapists would be seen as those with the most appropriate training to deal with all of the aspects of sports injuries. Their medical background having dealt with neurological and orthopaedic patients etc. as part of their training means they may be appropriately skilled to pick up on someone coming with a bad back which is really cancer for example. Someone without the medical background might not pick up on this - a very dangerous situation. Similarly, a chronic painful ankle might be seen as a sports injury rather than a diabetic neuropathy if someone doesn't have adequate training. Premiership football clubs must have a Chartered Physiotehrapist on board, many professional sports bodies are implementing similar rules.

Fair enough sports therapists may be excellent at what they do, but they are not the recognised experts (probably because they lack the medical background). It's not really to do with competition or anything like that - just best practice.

ive highlighted your last line as this is exactly why physiotherapists campaigned for this change in the rules!