What is Athletic Therapy?

We are pleased to welcome Megan Chalmers to our roster of therapists! Megan is a Registered Massage Therapist, Conditioning Specialist, and a Certified Athletic Therapist. This means that she will be as useful to you whether you’ve had hard day at the office or if you’re recovering from a sports-related (or non sports-related!) injury.

Athletic Therapy (AT) is a musculoskeletal system of treatment that evolved out of sports medicine. Similar to physiotherapy, AT involves itself in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries related to athletic practice, falls, workplace and automobile accidents, fractures, concussions, and pre- and post-surgical ailments. Despite their name, CATs do not solely treat athletes; their skills are as applicable the hockey player with a concussion as to the individual who sprained his elbow whilst attempting to open a jar of jam, which is something this author definitely did not do.

CATs work according to the Sports Medicine Model, a philosophy of practice that places prevention of injury at the center of treatment, and privileges a dynamic approach to healing that borrows on multiple disciplines of care. Certification for ATs is a thorough and impressive process that requires the completion of an AT program at an accredited university or college, 1 200 hours of on-field and in-clinic experience, and a valid First Responder license. The organization which oversees certification is the Canadian Association of Athletic Therapists (CATA), which has seven chapters across Canada.

We are pleased to offer Athletic Therapy at the same rates as Massage Therapy. Check out our website or give us a call to book an appointment!