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.
