Common Athletic Therapy Misconceptions

Written by: Jan Earl de Chavez BKin-AT, CAT(C)
 
There is still a lot of misinformation about athletic therapy. This article will talk about some common misconceptions about athletic therapy.

“Athletic therapists only work with sports teams or athletes.”
​This one may be because of the name of the occupation, but athletic therapists can work with everyone, not just athletes. In fact, a lot of patients are considered to be part of the “general population” who come in for chronic issues that arise from daily life or their occupation. Athletic therapists are also not exclusive to sports teams. They can be found working in hospitals, fitness centres, high schools, post-secondary institutions, and their own personal clinics. There are even those working in industrial or corporate companies.

“I should only see an athletic therapist after I am injured or involved in an accident.” 
Accidents are unfortunately unavoidable, but an athletic therapist can help return the patient to their normal routine before their injury. However, a lot of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions are preventable. An AT can identify potential sources of future injuries through their orthopaedic physical assessments. Early identification of signs and symptoms can lead to prevention which is better than having to rehabilitate an injury.

“Athletic therapists only tape or give ice.”
​This misconception ties in with the previous two. A lot of people think ATs only perform taping techniques or provide ice packs. This is completely untrue as ATs are educated in urgent care management, orthopaedic physical assessment, rehabilitation or prevention. They can creatively combine the use of manual therapy techniques, modalities and exercise rehabilitation in their treatment programs for their patients.

Athletic therapists are versatile professionals that can help you with injury prevention or rehabilitation. If you find yourself needing to see one, come visit me at Insahyu Training + Therapy, located at 250 Saulteaux Crescent, or you can visit our website and book online at www.insahyu.com.