Why You Should Consider Virtual Athletic Therapy

When people hear “virtual rehab”, they often think it must be less effective because it’s not hands-on. But the evidence shows otherwise.

While telehealth has been growing since before 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic certainly accelerated its adoption— and the research to support it. We now have a much clearer picture of how virtual rehabilitation performs, and the evidence shows it is a strong, effective alternative to in-person musculoskeletal rehab.

Overall, the research shows that telehealth is just as effective as traditional in-person appointments for improving pain and physical function, with patients reporting overall satisfaction and positive experiences. Several recurring themes help explain these results and make telehealth a genuinely modern way to deliver rehabilitation.

Ease, Flexibility, and Convenience
One of the major benefits of virtual care is the convenience of appointments and the scheduling flexibility, removing some of the practical barriers to injury rehab. Online appointments eliminate the need to drive to and from a physical location and sit in a waiting room, taking away more time from your day. Appointments can be met wherever you are, and offer flexibility and efficiency in terms of your pace, your space, and your time. This is a benefit for those with hectic schedules, live in more rural areas, or who need quick access to a professional.

More Comfort at Home
To add to that, many patients reported feeling more at ease at home, noting it as a “safe zone”, as opposed to sharing a space with other people, adding distractions. Patients felt they could be more open because of the comfort and privacy of being at home. As well, there is the added benefit of tailoring exercise programs to the space and equipment available at home.

Less Distraction, More Personal
To piggyback on patients feeling like they can open up more at home, this offers the opportunity for more personal communication with the therapist. Distractions of noises, interruptions, and others in the background are removed, leading to more meaningful and connected conversations. This is important because therapeutic alliance (the patient and therapist working together) has consistently been shown to be an important factor in people’s recovery from pain and injury. Patients have noted that the care they received felt more personalized and tailored to their own environment. Collaboration, warmth, and support between a patient and therapist can still exist without face-to-face contact.

More Focus on What Matters
Two more important factors for patients’ recovery are education and reassurance, which are commonly first-line treatments for those with pain and injury (especially low back pain). This is easily deliverable through virtual means, especially when there is that strong therapeutic alliance. Because of the distance between the patient and therapist, patients are left with self-management tools to guide their recovery, making them more active in the process. There is more onus on the patient to take control of their pain/injury as opposed to having a therapist there to apply a modality or massage an area.

Similar Experience from Providers
Aside from a few specific cases, virtual assessments are just as reliable as in-person ones for most common injuries and pain conditions. Detailed history-taking often becomes more effective in this relaxed setting, and functional or orthopedic tests can easily be adapted for video. Therapists can still accurately identify issues and create tailored, progressive plans with confidence.

Virtual athletic therapy provides the same high-quality outcomes and satisfaction as in-person sessions — with added benefits like convenience, flexibility, time efficiency, and comfort. It’s an effective, evidence-backed option for anyone looking to assess, understand, and rehabilitate their sports or activity-related injuries, no matter where they are.

References:
Barton, C. J., Ezzat, A. M., Merolli, M., Williams, C. M., Haines, T., Mehta, N., et al. “It's second best”: A mixed-methods evaluation of the experiences and attitudes of people with musculoskeletal pain towards physiotherapist delivered telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. 2022; 58, Article 102500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102500.

Bennell KL, Marshall CJ, Dobson F, Kasza J, Lonsdale C, Hinman RS. Does a web-based exercise programming system improve home exercise adherence for people with musculoskeletal conditions?: A randomized controlled trial. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2019; 98 (10): 850-858. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001204.

Bucki FM, Clay MB, Tobiczyk H, Green BN. Scoping review of telehealth for musculoskeletal disorders: applications for the COVID-19 pandemic. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2021; 44 (7): 558-565. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2021.12.003.

Cottrell MA, Galea OA, O’Leary SP, Hill AJ, Russell TG. Real-time telerehabilitation for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions is effective and comparable to standard practice: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehab. 2017; 31 (5): 625-638. doi: 10.1177/0269215516645148.

Cottrell MA, O’Leary SP, Raymer M, Hill AJ, Comans T, Russell TG. Does telerehabilitation result in inferior clinical outcomes compared with in-person care for the management of chronic MSK spinal conditions in the tertiary hospital setting? J Telemed Telecare. 2021; 27 (7): 444-452. doi: 10.1177/1357633X19887265.

Cottrell MA, Russell TG. Telehealth for musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2020 ;48: Article 102193. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2020.102193.

Cronström A, Sjödahl Hammarlund C. "A feeling of being part of the future": a qualitative study on physical therapists' experiences of delivering digital first-line treatment for hip and knee osteoarthritis. Physiother Theory Pract. 2025;41 (5): 998-1007. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2024.2380478.

Fernandes LG, Devan H, Williams CM. At my own space, pace and place: a systematic review of qualitative studies of enablers and barriers to telehealth interventions for people with chronic pain. Pain. 2022; 163 (2): e165-e181. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002364.

Fraser C, Beasley M, Macfarlane G, Lovell K. Telephone cognitive behavioural therapy to prevent the development of chronic widespread pain: a qualitative study of patient perspectives and treatment acceptability. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019; 20 (1):198-1008. doi: 10.1186/s12891-019-2584-2.

Koppenaal T, Pisters MF, Kloek CJ, Arensman RM, Ostelo RW, Veenhof C. the 3-month effectiveness of a stratified blended physiotherapy intervention in patients with nonspecific low back pain: cluster randomized controlled trial. J Med Internet Res. 2022; 24 (2): e31675. doi: 10.2196/31675.

Lawford BJ, Delany C, Bennell KL, Hinman RS. "I was really sceptical...But it worked really well": a qualitative study of patient perceptions of telephone-delivered exercise therapy by physiotherapists for people with knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2018; 26 (6):741-750. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2018.02.909.

Seron P, Oliveros MJ, Gutierrez-Arias R, Fuentes-Aspe R, Torres-Castro RC, Merino-Osorio C, et al. Effectiveness of telerehabilitation in physical therapy: a rapid overview. Phys Ther. 2021; 101 (6): 1-18. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzab053.

Who Am I As an Athletic Therapist?

Athletic therapy isn’t just my job; it’s something I've been immersed in since starting school in 2013 and becoming certified in Canada in 2017. Here’s a look at my experience, education, and the principles that guide how I work with people.

Placements were an integral part of Sheridan College’s athletic therapy program, with mornings in class and afternoons in the field working with college and university sports teams. Centennial College offered me a variety of experiences with the women’s soccer, men’s volleyball, and badminton teams. Much to my surprise, it was the badminton team I enjoyed the most— they’d never had a dedicated student therapist before, so they certainly made the most of having one. At this stage, I was still a newbie, but my next placement with Ontario Tech University’s women’s hockey team was where I really started to hit my stride. I had become more confident in my assessments and clinical rehab, and I felt part of the team. I particularly enjoyed the rush of pre-game preparation with the excitement and anticipation of the game.

By far, though, the best and most memorable school placement was with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016— the deciding factor in choosing Sheridan’s program, since other schools did not offer this. It was a crash course in what life in professional sports is really like. At times, it felt surreal being in the same room with the players I watched on TV, or telling people I was in the clubhouse for all 81 home games. But it was also an invaluable look into the high standards and daily demands of pro athletes. It confirmed that the professional sports lifestyle was not for me, but I still wanted to be involved in baseball, and it helped shape how I practice today.

Just two months after becoming certified, I started working with Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team for the WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup. It was a long three weeks of training camp and competition, which resulted in a loss in the bronze medal game, but it was the start of six years with the program. I’ve been fortunate enough to follow many of those players through their careers, several of whom are now in the MLB. My involvement in baseball expanded from there: organizing athletic therapy field coverage for Baseball Canada’s 2019 U15 Ray Carter Cup, providing field coverage for the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy Canadian Futures Showcase, and covering a couple of training sessions for Softball Canada’s Women’s National Team.

Since 2018, most of my day-to-day work has been in the clinic— a different world from dugouts and benches. Here, it is about understanding someone’s pain problem and building a progressive plan around their goals, capacity, and desired activities. This balance of acute care on-field and clinical rehab has given me a full view of the injury and rehab process— a unique perspective that athletic therapy brings.

My formal education in athletic therapy, which I supplemented with becoming a registered massage therapist, laid the foundation, but it has been a combination of working with patients and ongoing learning that has shaped how I practice today. Naturally drawn to baseball and shoulder injuries, Jared Powell’s three-part shoulder course deepened my understanding of how to assess and manage the many variations of shoulder pain. But the most influential courses I’ve taken were Greg Lehman’s Reconciling Biomechanics with Pain Science and Running Resiliency courses. These courses take a more broad approach to understanding assessment and rehab and have really helped me reflect on these aspects of my profession. I also like to stay on top of current best practices by reading a variety of research and journal articles.

Through all of my experience and education, a few principles have stayed constant:
1) The body is not fragile nor broken, but rather adaptable when the loads are appropriate.
2) Rehab should be active rather than passive; the right loads drive change, and engaged patients recover better.
3) Education is key— understanding your injury gives you the confidence and control to move forward.

What this means for you is whether you’re an athlete, physically active on your own, or just someone who wants to move without pain holding you back. My approach is grounded in over eight years of experience across every level of sport, combined with a commitment to evidence-based rehab to help you build resilience and confidence in your activity.

Why an Athletic Therapist Should Be Your Go-to For Your Sports Injuries

Injuries are never fun, but they are unfortunately a fact of life. Choosing the right professional can mean the difference between bouncing back fully, or dealing with an injury that keeps bouncing back. One profession you may not have heard of - but should know about - is athletic therapy.

Athletic therapy grew from the world of sports and has been dealing with athletic injuries for a long time. You have probably seen athletic therapists without knowing it— if you’re ever watching a sport like rugby or hurling and you see a member of the team staff run out to attend to an injured player, there’s a good chance that is an athletic therapist. This is because athletic therapists have extensive and ongoing training in the assessment of on-field acute injuries, but also in emergency care, including concussion assessment. Athletic therapists are trained to quickly sport whether an injury is serious and decide if it is safe to keep playing. Athletic therapists can be found at all levels of sport, from youth leagues all the way up to the professional and international level, ensuring participants stay safe. They are an integral part of the team because of this ability to assess and manage injuries right when they occur, setting the stage for recovery right from the get-go.

Athletic therapists also have extensive training in injury rehabilitation. This is more of a clinical setting where the athletic therapist takes their time to fully assess an injury or pain you have been dealing with, and then provides a treatment plan to help you get better. Because athletic therapists deal with active individuals and those who play sports, we know what the demands of sports are and therefore the rehab needs to be a little more than what you might think of with typical rehab. This is because the goal is to get you back to your sport or activity— the rehab needs to prepare you for this return. As such, athletic therapists don’t just focus on easing pain— it’s about building the strength, control, and confidence you need to get back to your sport and stay there.

From the moment an injury happens on the field to the final stage of your recovery, athletic therapists are trained to manage the whole journey.

This shouldn’t intimidate you though, if you feel you are not active enough or not a high-level athlete to see an athletic therapist. Athletic therapy really is for anyone who moves and wants a rehab approach that respects that. Athletic therapy takes an active approach to sports injury rehab because movement and exercise are what prepares you for that return to sports with more resilience and the confidence to participate without fear of reinjury.

Athletic therapy is a trusted part of the sports medicine world, but more importantly it is built around helping people recover and return to their sports. They are woven into the sports and activity community, from the sideline to the clinic, helping people recover stronger and get back to what they love. If you’re active, dealing with pain, or just want to move with more confidence, athletic therapy is built for you.

The Story Behind the Name

Coming up with a name for my virtual athletic therapy services was a long and challenging process with lots of brainstorming and revisions. I wanted a name that not only would I be proud of, but would also reflect my philosophy and approach to rehabbing sports-related injuries. After testing out several names and thinking I had finally found the one, I kept coming back to Bend Without Breaking for the literal and figurative message behind the name.

Literally: many people who have experienced an injury or are dealing with pain in their daily lives often come out of their first appointment feeling like they are broken. They’re often told of all of these different mechanical or movement-based reasons for why they are in pain, such as their posture or how they run. They are then given all of these “diagnoses” followed by exercises to try and correct these issues. This leaves many people feeling that there is something wrong with them, that they have to change how they move, or they won’t get better. This is especially true when it comes to those with low back pain where they become afraid of bending their back or else they will make things worse. While we do know that certain movements and positions can be painful, this doesn’t mean that we’re broken or making things worse. Often times, we just need strategies to help manage pain, let things calm down, and then slowly build ourselves back up. Even with an injury, we are allowed to move, and it is often needed to help facilitate recovery.

Figuratively: we are adaptable human beings. When we expose ourselves to the right amount of stress, say when we work out in the gym, our body responds by getting stronger. If we continue to do this, our bodies become more and more resilient to the stresses we place upon ourselves, making us better able to tolerate all kinds of loads. This is ultimately what influences injury— the balance between the stress we place upon ourselves and our ability to tolerate that stress. If we can build for ourselves a larger window or capacity to tolerate stress, we’re less likely to get injured, even when we do push ourselves a little more.

Bend Without Breaking – the ability to adapt, respond, spring back and grow stronger in the face of challenges or adversity, embodying strength, flexibility and persistence; a balance of toughness and resilience - like a branch that sways in the wind but does not snap.

My main goal is to teach people that they are not broken, but rather unique individuals with the ability to adapt and spring back from an injury; to build resilience and confidence in themselves to continue with the activities they enjoy. The image that kept coming back into my mind when I think about my treatment approach was that tree branch swaying in the gust of wind, bending to the stress of the wind and not breaking, but rather returning back to its resting position when the wind stops.