ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to provide a critical review of the literature pertaining to the physiotherapist–injured-athlete relationship. To date, sport psychology researchers have largely only considered how physiotherapists can help injured athletes’ recovery. I argue in this chapter that at least three knowledge gaps remain: (a) the physiotherapist as a “performer” in their own right, (b) appreciation of a more dyadic understanding of the relationship, and (c) accounting for how the wider sporting culture influences transactions between physiotherapists and injured athletes. The chapter begins with a brief introduction explaining the importance of researching this relationship, especially considering the close bond that physiotherapists and injured athletes can form during rehabilitation and throughout their athletic careers. The chapter then explores and critically examines the three identified knowledge gaps further by drawing from other fields of research (e.g., sports medicine, sociology of sport). The chapter then closes with future research areas, which include looking at multiple levels of analysis when studying interpersonal relationships, broadening the conceptual and methodological focus from the individual to a cultural and relational understanding, and developing theoretical frameworks that can be used to further our knowledge and understanding of the physiotherapist–injured-athlete relationship. Critical questions to provoke debate and discussion are also offered.
