Sports Therapy in Focus: A Systematic Bibliometric Analysis of Research Development and Impact

Introduction: This bibliometric analysis explores the research landscape of sports therapy, a specialized field focused on injury prevention, assessment, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement. The study aims to analyze key trends, contributors, and thematic evolution in sports therapy research, providing insights into its development and emerging focus areas. Methods: The study utilizes Biblioshiny, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace to analyze publication trends, citation networks, and thematic evolution. Data was retrieved from Scopus, covering the period 1965–2025. The study examines annual scientific production, the most relevant authors, and co-citation networks to uncover key contributors and collaborative research. Additionally, the most relevant sources and timezone maps of citing journals determine core publication outlets in the discipline. Results: The study examines global scientific production by country and analyzes the most globally cited articles, providing insight into seminal studies. Trend and thematic mapping identify shifts in research focus, with greater emphasis on rehabilitation, chronic disease management, and AI-driven interventions. Co-occurrence analysis of author keywords further categorizes dominant and emerging research themes. Conclusions: Identified research gaps include limited studies on female athletes, adaptive sports therapy, and mental health integration. The study offers practical insights for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, with a call for greater interdisciplinary collaboration and technology-driven innovations in sports therapy.