What is athletic therapy?
Athletic Therapy (AT) is a musculoskeletal manual therapy that evolved out of sports medicine, a philosophy of practice that places prevention of injury at the center of treatment, and takes a dynamic approach to healing that borrows on multiple disciplines. It focuses on functional assessment and manual therapeutic techniques, including sports massage, joint mobilizations, trigger point therapy, stretch and exercise therapy, and neuromuscular integration.
What conditions does athletic therapy treat?
Athletic Therapy treats injuries related to athletic practice, falls, workplace and automobile accidents, fractures, concussions, and pre and post-surgical ailments.
Athletic Therapists can treat a variety of injuries and conditions, including:
- ligament sprains
- repetitive strain injuries
- muscle and postural strains
- neck and low back pain
- tendinitis
- arthritis
- fascial restrictions
- ACL reconstruction
- fractures
- shoulder dislocations
- and more!
Can athletic therapy help me if I’m not an athlete?
Yes! Athletic therapy is not only used in the treatment of athletic injuries. Athletic therapy treatment benefits everyone; from the weekend hockey player with a sore knee to the individual with low back pain from prolonged sitting.
Athletic Therapists are skilled in returning athletes to competition and maximizing their performance potential as fast as possible after an injury. Those same skills and techniques also make Athletic Therapists very effective in treating commonly sustained injuries.
What are the benefits of athletic therapy?
Active treatments like Athletic Therapy allow for faster recovery from acute injuries like sprains and muscle strains, but also have a big impact on chronic pain and body mechanics.
By retraining the body’s movement patterns and strengthening the muscles and joints that are affected by prolonged or repetitive motions and postures, athletic therapy helps patients move better and live pain free.