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Preface

Opening statement

In the autumn of 1995, the Clinical Interest Groups of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) were approached to submit proposals for funding (provided by the Department of Health) to develop clinical guidelines for practice, as part of the move towards evidence-based practice. The funding body (Department of Health, through the CSP) provided no priority areas in which guidelines should be developed, so the decision to participate, and the focus of the guidelines was made independently by the individual group.

The committee of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine (ACPSM) decided to become involved in this process, and debated a suitable choice of topic. As the PRICE regimen in the early management of soft tissue injuries is so widely accepted, both in practice and in the literature, we felt strongly that this topic area would deliver sound supporting evidence which would form the basis for practice. Furthermore, it appeared that there existed considerable variation in practice, so it was deduced that an extensive review of the evidence would provide information on the most effective mode of application of the regimen.

This document, in the form of a reference manual, is aimed at professional practitioners in sports medicine (or in accident and emergency care), and records the process undertaken in the development of the guidelines (Appendix A), a review of the literature and an analysis of current practice, and the final outcome in the form of guideline statements supported by the evidence. It also projects future developments regarding the implementation, evaluation and review of the guidelines. Supporting leaflets, based on the guidelines from this document, will be developed for wider distribution.

Guideline development group

The core group responsible for the development of these guidelines consisted of physiotherapists, both clinical practitioners and academics, all of whom were members of ACPSM. The original discussion group who made the decision to proceed with the guidelines was eight in number, but the geographical distribution and professional demands suggested that it would be more effective to set up a smaller working party which could meet regularly. This working party (the development group) then reported to and sought advice from a larger group of physiotherapists who formed the Executive Committee and Regional Representatives of ACPSM. This also acted as a forum to gain consensus when evidence was not available from the literature. Members of the development group were:

Representation of teachers, leisure centre staff, athletes and patients will be included in the development of supporting leaflets for wider distribution.

Acknowledgements

The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine put in a bid to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for Department of Health funding to develop clinical guidelines in the profession. We were successful in our bid and this document is the outcome of this process.

The document is the result of a combined effort from four members of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine: Lynn Booth, Lynda Daley, Kate Kerr (group leader) and Julie Stark. We would like to express our thanks to others who have contributed in different ways to making this document possible:

• To Judy Fessey for designing the questionnaire
• To ID Data Base for the distribution and analysis of the questionnaire
• To Liz Mendl for managing the finances
• To Ruth ten Hove, Tracy Bury and Yvonne Odegbami from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for their support and guidance

Our thanks also to those on whom we ‘piloted’ this document, for their positive and supportive comments, and their useful observations.

• Dr Mark Batt - Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant, Centre for Sports Medicine, University of Nottingham
• Ms Jenny Brown - Physiotherapy Services Manager, St Georges Hospital, Tooting, London
• Dr Richard Budget - Chief Medical Officer, British Olympic Association
• Dr Dave Collins - Senior Lecturer, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Manchester Metropolitan University
• Dr Nick Peirce - Lecturer, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham
• Mr Dennis Wright - Physiotherapist; External Lecturer, Certificate in Professional Studies (Sports Physiotherapy/ Sports Podiatry), Manchester Metropolitan University