Athletic Therapy is a growing practice, and still holds some common misconceptions. Let’s clear up some of these myths, so you can decide if Athletic Therapy is right for you.

Myth #1: Athletic Therapy Is Only For Athletes

This is likely the most common misconception, and with good reason. It’s in the name! However, life is a sport, Athletic Therapy is for everyone. While the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association explains,” Certified Athletic Therapists are best known for their quick-thinking on-field emergency care of professional and elite athletes. The first to respond when someone gets hurt, they are experts at injury assessment and rehabilitation”, we actually treat a wide range of patients. From children who have suffered concussions through to seniors with hip issues, we specialize in treating musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints) injuries, as well as helping to prevent further issues.

Athletic therapists focus on the Sports Medicine Model of rehabilitation. While the word “Sports” is likely something else that leads to the Athlete Myth, this means we use a variety of manual therapy techniques and specific exercise prescription, as well as supportive products, such as bracing and taping, to speed up your recovery process.

Our main goal as Athletic Therapists is to help you get back to doing everyday activities you enjoy, whether that’s running a marathon, or walking your dog, and everything in between.

Myth #2: Insurance Won’t Cover It

This is another common myth, but to be fair, in some cases it is true. The straight forward answer here is to call your provider to check if this is something that concerns you. In some instances, you may need a referral for your insurance to cover Athletic Therapy, but this is not always the case. Local to our clinic, many plans have great coverage for Athletic Therapy, such as OPP, the Town of Carleton Place, teachers, paramedics, and more. Here is a list of Insurance providers that cover Athletic Therapy at the time of this post:

• Great West Life / Canada Life
• Benecaid Health Benefit Solutions
• Standard Life
• Blue Cross
• Hockey Canada
• Desjardin
• Claim Secure
• Reliable Life Insurance Co.
• Manulife
• Empire Life
• Greenshield
• Rugby Canada

Myth #3: Athletic Therapy is the Same as Regular Physio 

Another popular myth is that we are interchangeable with regular physio. Both therapies are hands-on and will assess and educate you about your injury. However, the conditions each treat and how they treat are different. Physiotherapists have a much broader scope of practice from neurological to cardiovascular health issues, whereas Athletic Therapists have a specialized scope of practice with musculoskeletal conditions- muscles, bones, and joints. We work with patients on injury prevention, immediate care upon injury, rehabilitation, regaining strength and endurance. We work with the body as a whole unit, guiding you in a safe recovery and back to your active lifestyle.

If Athletic Therapy is the right choice for you, give us a call at 613-276-8884 or email info@proactiveathletictherapy.com for an assessment!