This article is dedicated to physiotherapists, osteopaths, massage therapists and clinic managers, helping to optimise and prepare for smooth patient-centered care.

1. Successful onfield
PHYSIOTHERAPY
services for
sports
events and
competitions
Andrzej „Andrew” Sulimierski
MSc(PT) / Dubai 2018
This article is dedicated to physiotherapists, osteopaths, massage therapists and clinic
managers, helping to optimise and prepare for smooth patient-centered care.
Sport injury prevention and treatment in the most intense version might be pictured
as a physio booth in the middle of a lively sports event. In front of a big crowd, meeting
with a variety of treatment requests from event participants is definitely a challenge.
Acting instantly, based on clinical skills, taking decisions and using primal senses for clinical
decisions is a must and might become your addiction, source of pride which definitely
makes your day very satisfying.They are many more experienced individuals and companies
than me in such events but a lack of related articles motivated me to create this one.
Offering post-race treatment services or onfield during a sports competition is a
challenge and only those who experienced such an opportunity will return to such
activities. But what about, if you are a first timer for such setting?
Preparation, booth organization,
uniformed services, and skilled team
is crucial for such event. After a
number of successful onfield
services, you can spot that your
team can always improve with the
quality of service, queuing, a volume
of seen patients and their response
to your treatment in a long run. But
the question is, how to get it done
for the first time?
Majority of professionally
organized sports competitions seek
professional physio support.
Remember that such local event

2. might be a great way to promote your physio group or a physio center. Try to maximise
efforts and let athletes, spectators and event participants recognize you and remember
from the best side. Remember that sports events organizers and teams obviously work in
partnership with longtime hired physios who have a great experience on the field, but for
you as a person to whom it happened to have such opportunity definitely try to leave a
good impression. Remember, you cannot be compared to them at this stage.
Events
As organizers become more professional, also seek for injury prevention programs run
especially by MSK physios and not only first aid support. Search and offer own services for
local and international level events, races, qualification and sports games day. I believe
that you can always target such sports competitions: football, road cycling, rugby, running,
obstacle courses, basketball, crossfit, corporate or community sports games day, surfing
competition etc. It is worth to check with local sports event calendar and websites
resources. Keep yourself in the loop as you never know when the opportunity will knock
your door.
Team preparation
Physiotherapy skills are most valuable in
such setup. Gather your team with
experienced physios or those who are
fast learners, also those who are open
and not shy to act in public. It is worth
to organize a team meeting and present
most typical injuries for certain events
along with their assessment and
treatment to be on the same page with
all physio team members. Keep it
practical as much as possible. An in-
service would be a great idea. It is also a good time to prepare support stuff like nurses or
secretaries to know their tasks well. Discuss and prepare promotional materials, business
cards, handouts with pictures.
Number of physios
Depending on your
operation skills and vision of the
booth,a bigger number of physios
preferably shall be presented on
big annual events. It gives you
better exposure to the increased
volume of seen patients. A bigger
number of physios and variety of
skills migh open the opportunity
for more specific treatments to
be given. Hire experienced and
less experienced Physios. Even 1 physio during a big event makes sense but it will be a kind
of wasted opportunity to attract clientele and it will present as insufficient manpower.
There might be also an option of more than 1 booth to be offered during the big event and
become more recognizable. For easier patient channeling and flow, use the rule of 1
patient to 1 physio.If you have such opportunity use also a teamwork of 1 physio + 1 doctor.

3. Definitely, that would be a really successful setup to have a good support also from
surgical opinion.
Setup with a doctor is recognized mostly for high injury events such as crossfit
or rugby games. During an event with 100-250 participants, I believe that 1-3 physios with 3
plinths would be excellent. With 250 and more participants, the suggestion would be 4-5
physios and up to 6 massage tables. Remember that not all participants are coming to get a
treatment but also consultation.
Statistics
I believe that it is a good day if 1 physio would have a number of 30 consultations per
day/event. Multiply it by a number of physios and you will have a small success in
consulting a good number of future clients. Most probably within 30 patients, you would
see 1-2 acute injuries including muscle rupture due to contact or noncontact instances, 2-3
severe muscle pulls or grade 2 strains and the majority of them with muscle soreness or
grade 1 strain. you can also expect about 2-3 patients with cramps due to lack of
preparation or low electrolytes level and the majority of patients with muscle pain.
Remember of such clients who wish to check about physiotherapy services and have no
strain but wish to discuss previous or possible injuries. Definitely, all the patients are
valuable and we need to spend productive time with those who just enquired and those
who require immediate „hands on” help.
Stand location and recognition
Ideally, equip your location with a
big tent supporting a good amount of shade
to avoid extensive sun exposure or to
protect from rain or gusty winds. Tents
might be often provided by the event
organizer. It is also up to you if you desire to
have 1 or 2 stands in the events as 2 spots
might attract more clients but 1 might be
more organized and look more professional.
1 stand would be advisable if you have
fewer supplies. I believe that booth should
be strictly in the finisher village and the
best location is just beside the finish line.
Remember that vast number of participants
will have no injuries or might forget about a PHYSIO offer due to emotions, willing to catch
up with friends or simply going home due to tiredness.
How often patients come to booth depends upon the promotional skills. Patients will
spontaneously find their way to physio booth if they will suffer any injury. Keep a proper
booth visibility before, during and after the finishing of competition.
Location
 Try to get an indoor setup
 If outdoors only available - setup the booth
on an even ground in proximity to finish
line, toilets or supply of ice
 try to get in between tents to protect from
the wind or bad weather
 arrange plinths / massage beds
 Gathering candidates for patients – let
somebody advertise the booth

4.  Freebies to be given after the session if the patient really needs them. For example –
cold gel for those who had a soft tissue injury or tape precut application if were
interested in taping technique.
Booth organization
 List of new patients – collect contact data and let them sign a consent
 Onsite offer - specify if you wish to promote certain treatment approach
 Provider facility offer – recognition of your facility, staff presentation and specialty
 Leaflets for certain injuries – preparation of education for patients
 Promo leaflets – previously prepared marketing circulars
 Encourage the utilization of free services which are easily accessible ( foam rolling,
free-standing equipment utilization) Interaction and familiarising patients with free
services.
Let people know about your services
 Announce it prior to an event
 Let the organizer send a focused offer email on physio services
 Prepare a stand with informative rollups or signboards
Queuing:
 prepare a waiting area with several chairs and resting area
 waiting area might become a foam rolling center
 prepare vouchers and number them to help in recognition who is a client
Cooperation
 Team up with local health organization or health provider at the finish line of the
event or dedicated „village”
 Support each other and clearly share skills to give responsibilities to medical services
and triage
 As a physio try to avoid trauma and send to trauma center which might be equipped in
diagnostic devices and better facilities
Special promotion ONSITE
 depends on your center marketing department
 offer a cheaper session in your facility
 offer complimentary 1 session/ access to a gym
Equipment ( store in big containers)
 Tent +flags+banners+rollups+small
posters
 portable massage tables
 mats for flooring
 exercises mats
 foam rollers and balls
 few boxes of skin wipes
 soft or rigid tapes
 few pairs of scissors
 ice packs, coolers/bucket or ice cubes
 gels, balms and rubs
 different sizes of bandages
 crepe bandages
 massager wooden knobs
 different sizes of gloves
 vaseline

5.  manual traction belts
 Cleaning agents – shin wipes, alcohol solutions
Team work and delegation of tasks
Helpers -inviting athletes to a physio stand. Nurses - collecting data with contact and
taking consent. Physios – more experience perform structural and functional assessment
along with actual consultation and treatment, they might
screen and refer patients to less experience perform simple
tasks as sports massage. Doctor – general assessment,
trauma recognition and consultation.
Payment for physio service
Depending on cooperation with the organizer
 free of charge
 chargeable directly to the individual participant
and paid in your booth
 Complimentary as a package paid for the event
participation – organizer pays to physio center per
session. Prepare a signed list of participants or
vouchers.
Physio offer
As an injury prevention PHYSIO team, you will use all
of team skills including warm-up activities, sports massage,
stretching, manual therapy for assessment and treatment,
taping/strapping, ice bathing or certain unique offers of
your facility. The patient can avail treatment, consultations or educational materials.
Treatment time!
Start your services before first finishers will come to collect medals. Quite often it's long
after starting the competition! Check timing.
Selection of patients
 First come first serve basis
 Acute cases – based on triage skills - send to Emergency room
 Take care of patients that are from the same city as your clinic or partner facilities
in another city.
Duration of session:
 Work on pain or problem #1, take care of remaining problems once u have time or
refer to clinic to be seen after the event
 10-15 minutes, according to awaiting crowd
 the rolling session might take up to
10 minutes or more if rolling area is
not occupied
Personal hygiene
Preferably people would like to be
assessed and treated with bare hands,
although during post-op races due to sweat
or dirt from mud/soil might push you to use

6. hand gloves. Keep handy wet wiping tissues. Such tissues shall be not used to clean tables
as you might fast run out of them.
How shall physios dress up ?
Sportswear, according to the weather including hats, sunglasses, comfortable shoes and
definitely no scrubs suits.
Extras
 medical supplies – elbow crutches, axillary crutches, a variety of joint immobilizers
 portable TENS and US machine
Get famous - Social media
 Announce the participation of physio team before the race by the use of
organizers social media
 Take a consent from the patient - before clinical services in case of utilization of
patient ongoing treatment pictures
 Prepare for short live streaming or Stories of the day (FB or Insta)
 Shot pictures of treatment, presentation of a variety of cases that will be useful
for future marketing purposes.
From patient/client perspective
1. They need to see your booth and recognize offer + price
2. They need 1-2 person to share their concern and pain problem
3. Chairs, ice packs, electrolytes, water, freebies + SHADE would be appreciated
4. Clear and easily understanding of queuing rules
5. Fast-tracking would be appreciated
6. Triage for acute injuries
7. Keep clients occupied until the moment of meeting with clinician
To be done after the event
 Contact all new patients
and appreciate their
engagement and given
trust and opportunity to
be recognized.
 Ask if you can add their
contact to promo lists and
call center services if was
not signed in the consent
 Prepare marketing
materials with new
content
Examples of physio notes after my last onsite service:
Competition – Spartan race, HATTA 2017 - Obstacle course
Patients:
1. Mrs x – tension in Rt trapezius
2. Mr x – 1 y/o after Achilles tendon rupture – poor PF and terminal stance phase
3. Mr x – B supraspinatus tension
4. Mrs x – B PSIS pain
5. Mr x– left shoulder impingement

7. 6. Mr x – c/o Rt ASIS area pain – quadriceps and iliopsoas tension
7. Mr x – distal IT band strain gr 1
8. Mrs x – B shin splints + longitudinal feet arches strain
9. Mr x – stretches of Hamstrings
10. Mr x – hamstrings Rx with taping
11. Mr x – lattisimus dorsi strain + subscapularis – taping
12. Mr x – long head of the biceps rapture
13. Mrs x – mid back pain + flat foot
14. Mr x – Mid back tension, requested taping
15. Mrs x with Period...mid back tension
16. Mr x – c/o calf tension
17. Mr x – B quadriceps cramping and mild strain
18. Mr x – RT shoulder pull
19. Mrs x – It band tension
20. Mr x – hamstrings pull, grade 1
21. Mr x – foot exercises for plantar fasciatis
22. Mr x – B Supraspinatus
23. Mr x - self knee taping
Personal stress level
Obviously routine helps a lot, but first-timers might expect confusion
even with the simple patient scenario. Try to allocate more experienced physios in
small 2 person teams with a newcomer to assess and discuss the first batch of
patients. Stress might simply present as a time waster, drastically lowering the
anticipated patient number. Definitely, as you are progressing within a day, things will
become easier! Stress keeps us working hard but remember about nutrition, simple
hydration and food intake for Your team during such intense event !
I hope that above article will be helpful and improve your recognition of patient needs
and services to be offered. Give You a helpful hand and thus improve interaction with
patients/clients that will clarify your position in the market.
With regards Andrzej „Andrew” Sulimierski
( asulimierski .AT. gmail .DOT. comm)
Author bio: Mr Andrzej „Andrew”
Sulimierski , MSc(PT)
DHA licensed physiotherapist
graduated with Master degree in
Poland 2005. Working experience in
Poland, Germany, USA and UAE
since 2009 with neurological,
orthopedic, MSK and sports
patients. Certified PNF approach
therapist. Andrzej was always into
organizing events and workshops,
marketing for medical field focused
on physiotherapy specialty along with dedication to physiotherapy community NGO and
community animation since 2004 in Poland. Andrzej leads Polish Medical Platform in GCC
(www.medicalPlatform.pl) gathering Polish medical practitioners in Gulf countries. Deputy
manager of Physiotherapy Department in Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery Dubai who
recently joined specialized Musculoskeletal clinic focused in inflight/onboard injuries in
leading UAE airline based in Dubai. Loves cycling, swimming, sailing, surfing and skiing.

8. Thank You for support in preparation of above article to my Physio friends from Dubai:
 Jacek Woźniakowski MSc(PT)
 Ruchi Hari Krishna MSc(PT)
 Kamil Kamiński MSc(PT)
 Megha Aggarwal MSc(PT)
 Daniel Demkiewicz, MSc(PT)
 Dariusz Bogdanowicz MSc(PT)
Special appreciation and recognition to Mr.Jon Abrego, Sports Physiotherapist
Literature:
 Garrett WE. Muscle strain injuries: clinical and basic aspects. Med Sci Sport Exerc
1990,22:436-43.
 Worrell T, Perrin D. Hamstring muscle injury: the influence of strength, flexibility,
warm-up and fatigue. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1992;16:12-18.
 Knaniik T Tones B, Bauman C, ei al. Strength, flexibility and athletic injuries. Sports
Med 1992;14:277-88.
 Intervention Strategies Used in Sport Injury Prevention Studies: A Systematic Review
Identifying Studies Applying the Haddon Matrix, Sports Med. 2017; 47(10): 2027–2043
http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/
http://sma.org.au/
https://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/
https://www.physio-pedia.com/home/
Links: https://www.facebook.com/IndependentPhysioEventGroup/
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