Adaptive sports in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine across Europe: the forgotten therapeutic ally.
Louise Declerck, Karol Hornacek, Alvydas Juocevicius and 4 others
PMID 40202275WHAT IT FOUND
Most European rehabilitation professionals believe adaptive sports help patients, but few actually offer or promote them.
Institutions lack infrastructure and funding, and clinicians rarely discuss these options. Patients should not assume their team is unaware of these benefits, but rather that access is structurally limited.
Key findings
01While 95% of professionals believe adaptive sports are important for patient well-being, actions to promote them remain infrequent, with 45% never prescribing them.
02The primary barriers to offering adaptive sports are lack of infrastructure and financial resources, reported by 75 and 62 participants respectively.
03Medical doctors reported significantly higher action scores for promoting adaptive sports (median 8) compared to paramedical staff (median 5).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was self-selected and voluntary, which may introduce bias toward professionals already interested in adaptive sports. 12 of the 31 participating countries were represented by only one professional, limiting the ability to draw conclusions for those specific national contexts. The survey relied on self-reported beliefs and actions, which may not accurately reflect actual clinical behavior. No sample size calculation was performed due to the exploratory nature of the study.
Declared interests
The authors certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization regarding the material discussed in the manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low action scores as a lack of clinician belief in the therapy. The study shows 95% of professionals believe adaptive sports are important, but structural barriers like lack of infrastructure and funding prevent them from offering or promoting these activities. The problem is access and resources, not clinician skepticism.