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Podiatric Sports Medicine

Royal College of Podiatry Specialist Advisory Group

Motto: Inspiring clinical excellence through science & innovation, thinking beyond biomechanics

What is Podiatric Sports Medicine?

As a formal specialty within the podiatry profession, Podiatry Sports Medicine (PSM) is relatively new and still in its infancy. Historically, clinicians have referred to themselves as Sports Podiatrists due to their association with sportsmen as their patient group, but they have had no formal qualifications or training in PSM.

Find out more about the history of podiatric sports medicine, including the role that the 2012 London Olympics played in its evolution, in this paper by the Podiatric Sports Medicine Specialist Advisory Group Chair, Nat Padhiar.

Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM)
 
In the UK, Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) exists as a specialty in medicine and an academic qualification in SEM has been offered for the last four decades in the UK. In order to identify and differentiate from SEM which is primarily practised by medical doctors, sports medicine practised by a podiatrist has been termed Podiatric Sports Medicine in order to give it its own identity.

Find out more about the history of sports and exercise medicine in articles from BASEM Today, edited by Nat Padhiar. Winter 2021

Scope of practice

Management of common and uncommon musculoskeletal foot, ankle and leg disorders encountered in sport as well as within an active population, in terms of diagnosis and differential diagnosis based on knowledge of conditions, knowledge of anatomy, good history-taking, clinical examination confirmed by investigations and then a structured plan of management. Justification is based on evidence thus encouraging evidence-based practice.
 
The decision-making process is also an important part of the scope, especially at the elite and professional end of the sports spectrum.

Membership

The Podiatric Sports Medicine Specialist Advisory Group (PSM SAG) is open to all Members/Fellows of the Royal College of Podiatry that meet one of the following criteria:

  • Hold a Post-graduate Certificate (PGC), Diploma or an MSc in PSM or equivalent qualification that is related to sport
  • Are employed or affiliated to a sports team or organisation
  • Have part of their working week devoted to looking after sportsmen and women
  • Are involved in teaching or lecturing in sports-related subjects
  • Work within a mulitdisciplinary sports medicine, clinic or team.

How to join

If you are a member of the Royal College of Podiatry, meet one of the above criteria and would like to join PSM SAG, please download the application form. Completed forms and accompanying documentation should be sent to the Membership Secretary, Ms Caoimhe Hoey, by email.

Organisation structure

Chair Dr Nat Padhiar
Vice Chair Mr Liam Stapleton and Mr Abid Hussain
General Secretary Mr Sean Savage and Mr Victor Sowunmi
Membership Secretary Ms Caoimhe Hoey and Ms Amy Curran
Social Secretary Ms Katie Reilly and Mr David Gruhl
Scientific Officers Ms Suzanne Hamilton and Mr Ian Griffiths
Education Officers Mr Dhruv Jogia and Mr Alexander Townsend
Vasyli Award Coordinator Mr Trevor Prior and Ms Fiona Rigby
Marketing and Advertising Officer Ms Olga Jones and Ms Nicola Wilson

Post-graduate education

Podiatric Sports Medicine 

Queen Mary University of London offers PG Dip/MSc in Podiatic Sports Medicine. 

For more information contact:

Sports and exercise medicine courses

There are 22 universities in the UK that offer sports and exercise medicine (SEM) courses, including University College London, see:

Virtual lecture series

The Podiatric Sports Medicine Special Advisory Group invites all MSK and PSM enthusiasts to join our online lecture series once every two months.

All meetings will start at 7.30pm and end by 8.30pm. All sessions will have a two-minute introduction by the chair, a 40-minute presentation, and 15 minutes of discussion and questions. Please join via the Zoom link which will be made available nearer to the event. Please also note that topics and presenters may change due to unforeseen circumstances. If you wish to attend, please email Dhruv Jogia at dhruv_sp@hotmail.co.uk

Learning outcomes: Develop a sophisticated understanding of evidence-based best practices

  • Critically evaluate and plan safe, efficient, and effective evidence-based multi-factorial treatment protocols for individuals at any stage of their injury presentation.
  • Initiate, evaluate, and modify a range of interventions, including prescribing medicines, manual therapies, and injections.
  • Reflective practice - Critically evaluate own and others’ practice, formulating strategies for improvement.
  • Demonstrate team leadership, resilience, and determination in managing complex situations and working in a multi-disciplinary team.
Dates Title and speaker(s)
6 March 2024 Achilles tendinopathy in sport
Prof N Maffulli
1 May 2024 Injectables in sport
Olga Jones and Liam Stapleton
3 July
2024		 Pitch-side sports medicine
Dr Helen Small
10 July 2024
7.30 - 9.30pm		 PSM Special:
The Podiatric Sports Medicine SAG invites you to a special edition talk with three guest speakers.

Decision-making outside the comfort of the clinical environment 

Speakers:
  • Abid Hussain - Commonweath Games
  • Anne-Marie Brodrick - A Saharan experience
  • Prof Nat Padhiar - Nothing is impossible
4 Sept 2024 Evidence-based orthotics prescription for sports footwear
Suzanne Hamilton and Ian Griffiths
6 Nov 2024 Audit in PSM
Trevor Prior  

12th Podiatric Sports Medicine Conference

The 12th Podiatric Sports Medicine Conference will be held on 31 January 2025 at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (RCPS), 232-242 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5RJ.

The theme of this year’s conference is Women in sports and professions. 

The conference will be chaired by:

  • Professor Nat Padhiar, Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
  • Mr Graham Holloway, British Association of Sports and Exercise Medicine

Download the event flyer here.

For more information and to book please go to the RCPS website.

A review of the 2022 conference is available here.

Book here

Vasyli Award

This award, which is presented annually, was created after the founder of the Vasyli Foundation and world-renowned podiatrist, Phillip Vasyli, who passed away in 2015. As part of his legacy, he wished to further the education of podiatrists in the field of podiatric sports medicine.

Each year, the successful applicant will be awarded a maximum of £1,500 towards the cost of gaining one of the following qualifications: Post-graduate certificate, Diploma, or an MSc in Podiatric Sports Medicine, at Queen Mary University of London.  To apply, you must be a current HCPC registered member of the Royal College of Podiatry and be a UK resident. Further details about eligibility for the award are available here.

Applications are now open for the 2024 Vasyli Award

To apply, please download and complete the application form.

Completed forms should be returned by 30 June 2024 to courses@rcpod.org.uk.

Download the application form

Further reading

The recommended reading below includes published journal articles written by members of the Podiatry Sports Medicine Specialist Advisory Group.

Birmingham 2022. Abid Hussain at the Commonweath Games. 
From the IOCP Podiatry Review, Autumn 2022

Run into trouble - by Suzanne Hamilton
Podiatry Now, June 2020

Profile of Prof Nachiappan Chockalingam and Prof Toni Arndt prepared for the 10th Podiatric Sports Medicine Annual Conference, 8 – 9 December 2022
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