Board Cert · PT
Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS)
44 citations · 3 lenses scored
ABPTS board certification. Limited evidence of outcome differences. Efficiency gains from advanced sports medicine knowledge possible.
Score anatomy · every lens
Clinical outcomes ×35
48/100
No comparative RCTs of SCS vs non-SCS outcomes; sports injury management knowledge advanced.
Caseload applicability ×15
60/100
Applicable to sports medicine, athletic training, and injury prevention settings; limited outside sports contexts.
Billing & reimbursement ×15
52/100
No SCS-specific billing premium; sports medicine PT billed under standard codes.
Certification investment ×20
22/100
ABPTS exam plus 2,000 hours sports clinical experience; major career investment.
Employer demand ×10
65/100
Steady employer demand in sports medicine, collegiate athletic, and professional sports settings.
Patient experience ×5
52/100
Athletes value working with sports-specialized clinicians.
Cash-pay viability ×25
80/100
Athletes and active adults are among the highest-paying cash-pay segments in PT.
Pricing leverage ×20
75/100
SCS supports premium sports performance and return-to-sport pricing.
Market differentiation ×15
70/100
Genuinely rare credential; differentiates strongly in sports-med markets.
Owner leverage ×15
70/100
Sports practices scale well with multiple SCS clinicians delivering structured RTS programs.
Consumer demand ×15
60/100
Recognized by serious athletes, coaches, and referral sources more than most credentials.
Credential investment ×10
40/100
Requires emergency cert, hours, exam; time-intensive pathway.
Faculty recognition ×25
85/100
Highly respected ABPTS board cert; strong weight for sports/ortho faculty roles.
Scholarship signal ×20
72/100
Active research community around sports PT and RTS.
Teaching value ×15
80/100
Highly relevant to sports, ortho, and clinical-decision-making curricula.
Evidence depth ×20
75/100
Strong RCT base in ACL, RTS, and tendinopathy literature.
Faculty demand ×10
70/100
Frequently preferred in sports-track faculty postings, though fewer such roles exist than ortho.
Credential investment ×10
45/100
Lengthy pathway with emergency care and exam; meaningful time cost.
Sources · 44 on file
Evidence mix
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- 30%
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- 25%
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- 14%
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- 11%
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- 7%
- 1
- 2%
- 1
- 2%
- 4
- 9%
Publication years66% since 2021
15
Last reviewed 2026-1044 sources
- 01DOI ↗Effects of a Tele-Prehabilitation Program with Indirect Electrostimulation Compared to Home-Based Exercise in Patients Eligible for Lower Limb Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled TrialP. Patanè; V. Carnevale Pellino; M. Febbi; C. Cavallo; F. Gervasoni; A. Gatti; E. Caldarella; F. de Caro; M. Vandoni; F. Manzoni; L. Marin · J Clin Med · 2025RCTdoi:10.3390/jcm14041356
- 02DOI ↗Is there a correlation between length of employment and receiving a post-professional certification or residency in physical therapy? A pilot studyA. Louw; T. L. Schuemann; K. Smith; L. Benz; K. Zimney · Work · 2025Pilot/feasibilitydoi:10.1177/10519815251323990
- 03DOI ↗Roles And Responsibilities Of The Physical Therapist In Collegiate Athletics: Results Of A National SurveyM. Zarro; O. Silverson; W. Soenksen; J. Thein-Nissenbaum; E. Cataldo Cirone; R. Rowland; J. Staker · Int J Sports Phys Ther · 2022Cross-sectionaldoi:10.26603/001c.38015
- 04DOI ↗Case for the specialised sports physical therapist to be an essential part of professional athlete care: letter from America no. 1D. S. Strack; C. W. MacDonald; E. B. Valencia; M. Davison · Br J Sports Med · 2019doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097575
- 05DOI ↗Patient Characteristics and Predictors of Return to Sport at 12 Months After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: The Importance of Patient Age and Postoperative RehabilitationP. K. Edwards; J. R. Ebert; B. Joss; T. Ackland; P. Annear; J.-U. Buelow; B. Hewitt · Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine · 2018doi:10.1177/2325967118797575
- 06DOI ↗SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY CURRICULA IN PHYSICAL THERAPIST PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMSE. P. Mulligan; J. DeVahl · Int J Sports Phys Ther · 2017Cross-sectionalPMID 29181256
- 07DOI ↗CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF CRYOTHERAPY AMONG SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPISTSS. W. Hawkins; J. R. Hawkins · Int J Sports Phys Ther · 2016Cross-sectionalPMID 26900509
- 08DOI ↗2D AND 3D KINEMATICS DURING LATERAL STEP-DOWN TESTING IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTIONM. F. Mostaed; D. M. Werner; J. A. Barrios · Int J Sports Phys Ther · 2018PMID 29484244
- 09DOI ↗The formal EU-US Meniscus Rehabilitation 2024 Consensus: An ESSKA-AOSSM-AASPT initiative. Part II-Prevention, non-operative treatment and return to sportR. Prill; C. B. Ma; S. E. Wong; P. Beaufils; J. C. Monllau; E. K. Arhos; R. Becker; F. D. Villa; J. B. Goodloe; J. J. Irrgang; J. Klugarova; E. L. Klosterman; A. Królikowska; A. J. Krych; R. F. LaPrade; R. Manske; N. van Melick; J. K. Monson; M. Ostojic; M. V. Paterno; T. Piontek; S. Perelli; A. Rambaud; J. Robinson; L. C. Schmitt; E. H. Senorski; T. Snaebjornsson; A. J. Tagliero; A. O. Giordano; N. Pujol · Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc · 2025Clinical guidelinedoi:10.1002/ksa.12689
- 10DOI ↗London International Consensus and Delphi study on hamstring injuries part 3: rehabilitation, running and return to sportB. M. Paton; P. Read; N. van Dyk; M. G. Wilson; N. Pollock; N. Court; M. Giakoumis; P. Head; B. Kayani; S. Kelly; G. M. M. J. Kerkhoffs; J. Moore; P. Moriarty; S. Murphy; R. Plastow; B. Stirling; L. Tulloch; D. Wood; F. Haddad · Br J Sports Med · 2023Clinical guidelinedoi:10.1136/bjsports-2021-105384
- 11DOI ↗A description of physical therapists' knowledge in managing musculoskeletal conditionsJ. D. Childs; J. M. Whitman; P. S. Sizer; M. L. Pugia; T. W. Flynn; A. Delitto · BMC Musculoskelet Disord · 2005Cross-sectionaldoi:10.1186/1471-2474-6-32
- 12DOI ↗ACL Reconstruction Rehabilitation: Clinical Data, Biologic Healing, and Criterion-Based Milestones to Inform a Return-to-Sport GuidelineA. W. Brinlee; S. B. Dickenson; A. Hunter-Giordano; L. Snyder-Mackler · Sports Health · 2022Clinical guidelinedoi:10.1177/19417381211056873
- 13DOI ↗Prevention strategies for lower extremity injury: a systematic review and meta-analyses for the Female, woman and/or girl Athlete Injury pRevention (FAIR) consensusG. S. Bullock; A. M. Räisänen; C. Martin; M. Martin; J. M. Galarneau; J. L. Whittaker; J. M. Losciale; M. Bizzini; M. N. Bourne; H. P. Dijkstra; M. O. Dubé; A. Hayden; M. Girdwood; M. Hägglund; S. McLeod; N. S. Mkumbuzi; A. B. Mosler; M. C. Murphy; G. Myklebust; M. Møller; J. M. Ocarino; O. B. A. Owoeye; D. Palmer; K. Pasanen; E. K. Rio; K. Thorborg; M. van Middelkoop; E. Verhagen; S. J. Warden; M. Whalan; K. M. Crossley; C. Emery · Br J Sports Med · 2025Meta-analysisdoi:10.1136/bjsports-2025-109910
- 14DOI ↗Patterns of video-based motion analysis use among sports physical therapistsC. P. Hensley; E. M. Lenihan; K. Pratt; A. Shah; E. O'Donnell; P. C. Nee; J. Lee; A. Yang; A. H. Chang · Phys Ther Sport · 2021Cross-sectionaldoi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2021.05.003
- 15DOI ↗2022 Bern Consensus Statement on Shoulder Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Return to Sport for Athletes at All Participation LevelsA. Schwank; P. Blazey; M. Asker; M. Møller; M. Hägglund; S. Gard; C. Skazalski; S. Haugsbø Andersson; I. Horsley; R. Whiteley; A. M. Cools; M. Bizzini; C. L. Ardern · J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · 2022Clinical guidelinedoi:10.2519/jospt.2022.10952
- 16DOI ↗Modifiable risk factors for lower-extremity injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the Female, woman and/or girl Athlete Injury pRevention (FAIR) consensusJ. L. Whittaker; A. M. Räisänen; C. Martin; J. M. Galarneau; M. Martin; J. M. Losciale; G. S. Bullock; M. O. Dubé; M. Bizzini; M. N. Bourne; H. P. Dijkstra; M. Girdwood; K. A. Hayden; M. Hägglund; S. McLeod; N. S. Mkumbuzi; A. B. Mosler; M. C. Murphy; G. Myklebust; M. Møller; J. M. Ocarino; O. B. A. Owoeye; D. Palmer; K. Pasanen; E. K. Rio; K. Thorborg; M. van Middelkoop; E. Verhagen; S. J. Warden; M. Whalan; K. M. Crossley; C. A. Emery · Br J Sports Med · 2025Meta-analysisdoi:10.1136/bjsports-2025-109902
- 17DOI ↗Orthopaedic Physical Therapy: Update to the Description of Specialty PracticeM. A. Johanson; M. B. Miller; J. B. Coe; M. Campo · J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · 2016Cross-sectionaldoi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6211
- 18DOI ↗2016 Consensus statement on return to sport from the First World Congress in Sports Physical Therapy, BernC. L. Ardern; P. Glasgow; A. Schneiders; E. Witvrouw; B. Clarsen; A. Cools; B. Gojanovic; S. Griffin; K. M. Khan; H. Moksnes; S. A. Mutch; N. Phillips; G. Reurink; R. Sadler; K. G. Silbernagel; K. Thorborg; A. Wangensteen; K. E. Wilk; M. Bizzini · Br J Sports Med · 2016Clinical guidelinedoi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096278
- 19DOI ↗Prevention strategies and modifiable risk factors for concussion: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the Female, woman and girl/or Athlete Injury pRevention (FAIR) consensusI. J. Shill; H. A. Shepherd; P. H. Eliason; A. T. Kolstad; O. Heyward; G. Martens; K. Peek; C. A. Soligon; M. G. King; S. W. West; O. H. Ahmed; C. A. Blauwet; S. Broglio; A. Chintoh; J. M. Galarneau; K. A. Hayden; S. Hendricks; M. Makdissi; D. Palmer; S. Sick; J. L. Whittaker; K. M. Crossley; K. J. Schneider; C. A. Emery · Br J Sports Med · 2025Meta-analysisdoi:10.1136/bjsports-2025-109915
- 20DOI ↗Influence of residency training on the clinical reasoning development of Kenyan physiotherapistsS. Cunningham; B. Litwin; A. Fernandez-Fernandez; J. Canbek · J Man Manip Ther · 2019doi:10.1080/10669817.2019.1597434
- 21DOI ↗No Difference in Return-to-Sport Rate or Activity Level in People with Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Managed with ACL Reconstruction or Rehabilitation Alone: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisS. R. Filbay; G. Bullock; S. Russell; F. Brown; W. Hui; T. Egerton · Sports Med · 2025Meta-analysisdoi:10.1007/s40279-025-02268-5
- 22DOI ↗Prevention strategies and modifiable risk factors for upper extremity injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the Female, woman and/or girl Athlete Injury pRevention (FAIR) consensusE. E. Heming; E. S. Gibson; K. B. Friesen; C. L. Martin; M. Martin; M. Asker; C. Blauwet; G. S. Bullock; H. Fredriksen; J. M. Galarneau; K. A. Hayden; J. H. Lee; A. B. Mosler; G. Myklebust; B. M. Pluim; J. S. Thornton; J. L. Whittaker; R. Whiteley; K. M. Crossley; M. Møller; C. A. Emery · Br J Sports Med · 2025Meta-analysisdoi:10.1136/bjsports-2025-109907
- 23DOI ↗Narrative analysis to track the development of clinical reasoning during residencyK. Naidoo; J. Baldwin; J. Lesar; L. Plummer · J Clin Educ Phys Ther · 2022Qualitativedoi:10.52214/jcept.v4.8496
- 24DOI ↗Exercise-based rehabilitation for ACL injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysisA. P. Verhagen; A. Nasser; L. Jenkins; A. P. Monk; B. T. Saragiotto; P. Stubbs · Musculoskelet Sci Pract · 2025Meta-analysisdoi:10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103392
- 25DOI ↗Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of neuromuscular training with real-time biofeedback in young female athletesK. R. Ford; J. B. Taylor; A. E. Westbrook; M. V. Paterno; B. Huang; A. D. Nguyen · BMC Musculoskelet Disord · 2025RCTdoi:10.1186/s12891-025-08647-3
- 26DOI ↗Effect of open kinetic chain exercises during the first weeks of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction rehabilitation: A systematic review and meta-analysisV. Fontanier; M. Vergonjeanne; P. Eon; A. Bruchard; D. Laplaud · Phys Ther Sport · 2025Meta-analysisdoi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2025.02.005
- 27DOI ↗The effects of an education and exercise-based injury prevention programme on knowledge, eccentric shoulder strength, shoulder range of motion, and thoracic range of motion among competitive youth volleyball athletes: a randomized controlled trialR. Lau; S. Mukherjee · Res Sports Med · 2025RCTdoi:10.1080/15438627.2025.2475037
- 28DOI ↗Ankle Injury Prevention Programs for Youth Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisR. Berkey; A. Sunesara; L. Allen; R. Pontiff; A. DeVries; S. R. Fisher · Sports Health · 2024Meta-analysisdoi:10.1177/19417381241231588
- 29DOI ↗The Dose-Response Relationship of an Exercise-Based Injury Prevention Program: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial on Athletics (Track-and-Field) Athletes Over a 39-Week Follow-UpS. Iatropoulos; P. E. Dandrieux; L. Navarro; D. Blanco; P. Edouard · Scand J Med Sci Sports · 2024RCTdoi:10.1111/sms.14720
- 30DOI ↗Evidence-Based Hamstring Injury Prevention and Risk Factor Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsS. S. Rudisill; N. H. Varady; M. P. Kucharik; C. T. Eberlin; S. D. Martin · Am J Sports Med · 2023Meta-analysisdoi:10.1177/03635465221083998
- 31DOI ↗The Protective Effect of Neuromuscular Training on the Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome in Youth Female Track-and-Field Athletes: A Clinical Trial and Cohort StudyG. Mendez-Rebolledo; R. Figueroa-Ureta; F. Moya-Mura; E. Guzmán-Muñoz; R. Ramirez-Campillo; R. S. Lloyd · J Sport Rehabil · 2021RCTdoi:10.1123/jsr.2020-0376
- 32DOI ↗Return to sport following low-risk and high-risk bone stress injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysisT. Hoenig; J. Eissele; A. Strahl; K. L. Popp; J. Stürznickel; K. E. Ackerman; K. Hollander; S. J. Warden; K. H. Frosch; A. S. Tenforde; T. Rolvien · Br J Sports Med · 2023Meta-analysisdoi:10.1136/bjsports-2022-106328
- 33DOI ↗Effects of a neuromuscular training program using external focus attention cues in male athletes with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a randomized clinical trialM. Ghaderi; A. Letafatkar; A. C. Thomas; S. Keyhani · BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil · 2021RCTdoi:10.1186/s13102-021-00275-3
- 34DOI ↗Injury prevention programs that include balance training exercises reduce ankle injury rates among soccer players: a systematic reviewW. S. A. Al Attar; E. H. Khaledi; J. M. Bakhsh; O. Faude; H. Ghulam; R. H. Sanders · J Physiother · 2022Meta-analysisdoi:10.1016/j.jphys.2022.05.019
- 35DOI ↗Four-Week Ankle-Rehabilitation Programs in Adolescent Athletes With Chronic Ankle InstabilityM. S. Cain; R. J. Ban; Y. P. Chen; M. D. Geil; B. M. Goerger; S. W. Linens · J Athl Train · 2020RCTdoi:10.4085/1062-6050-41-19
- 36DOI ↗Hamstring Strain Injury (HSI) Prevention in Professional and Semi-Professional Football Teams: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisC. Biz; P. Nicoletti; G. Baldin; N. L. Bragazzi; A. Crimì; P. Ruggieri · Int J Environ Res Public Health · 2021Meta-analysisdoi:10.3390/ijerph18168272
- 37DOI ↗Neuromuscular training improves knee proprioception in athletes with a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A randomized controlled trialM. Ghaderi; A. Letafatkar; T. G. Almonroeder; S. Keyhani · Clin Biomech (Bristol) · 2020RCTdoi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2020.105157
- 38DOI ↗Risk of Secondary Injury in Younger Athletes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisA. J. Wiggins; R. K. Grandhi; D. K. Schneider; D. Stanfield; K. E. Webster; G. D. Myer · Am J Sports Med · 2016Meta-analysisdoi:10.1177/0363546515621554
- 39DOI ↗A Secondary Injury Prevention Program May Decrease Contralateral Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes: 2-Year Injury Rates in the ACL-SPORTS Randomized Controlled TrialJ. L. Johnson; J. J. Capin; A. J. H. Arundale; R. Zarzycki; A. H. Smith; L. Snyder-Mackler · J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · 2020RCTdoi:10.2519/jospt.2020.9407
- 40DOI ↗Return-to-play criteria following a hamstring injury in professional football: a scoping reviewP. Perna; F. Kerin; N. Greig; M. Beato · Res Sports Med · 2025Systematic reviewdoi:10.1080/15438627.2024.2439274
- 41DOI ↗A School-Based Neuromuscular Training Program and Sport-Related Injury Incidence: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Clinical TrialK. D. B. Foss; S. Thomas; J. C. Khoury; G. D. Myer; T. E. Hewett · J Athl Train · 2018RCTdoi:10.4085/1062-6050-173-16
- 42DOI ↗Rehabilitation and Return to Play Protocols After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Soccer Players: A Systematic ReviewM. A. Mayer; M. Deliso; I. S. Hong; B. M. Saltzman; R. S. Longobardi; P. F. DeLuca; L. Rizio · Am J Sports Med · 2025Systematic reviewdoi:10.1177/03635465241233161
- 43DOI ↗A School-Based Injury Prevention Program to Reduce Sport Injury Risk and Improve Healthy Outcomes in Youth: A Pilot Cluster-Randomized Controlled TrialS. A. Richmond; J. Kang; P. K. Doyle-Baker; A. Nettel-Aguirre; C. A. Emery · Clin J Sport Med · 2016RCTdoi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000000261
- 44DOI ↗Impact of Psychological Factors on Rehabilitation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic ReviewV. J. Nedder; A. G. Raju; A. J. Moyal; J. G. Calcei; J. E. Voos · Sports Health · 2025Systematic reviewdoi:10.1177/19417381241256930