Athletic Therapy for Athletic Teams

Certified athletic professionals work closely with athletic teams, to evaluate their performance during game time. They work in conjunction with specialists and provide athletes excellent physiological care. Their work includes training, game preparation, on-site medical assistance, and physiological conditioning. They play a key role in developing the player’s physical capabilities, without messing up their biomechanics. This is why an athletic therapist should be part of every athletic team.

Why not a Physician?
Sports related injuries take place during games and it is important to have a medical professional close at hand. A physician is concerned only with recovery of an injury but an athletic therapist is concerned with recovery of the athlete’s performance. Therefore, a general physician just doesn’t cut it to address athletic injuries. The athletic therapist rapidly assesses the situation and uses his sports injury related knowledge to mitigate damage caused by an injury. He can make it possible for the injured player to keep playing or at least makes sure the injured player returns to playing soon.

Why not a Physiotherapist?
Athletic therapists often work closely with physiotherapists to address sports related injuries. However, physiotherapists are just general practitioners of physical rehabilitation. Their work includes addressing neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory problems. An athletic therapist is mainly concerned with rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. There are specialists in sports medicine, pain management and equipment fitting. Their specialized knowledge is extremely valuable in a field setting.

Who do They Work With?
Athletic therapists work with sportsmen at all levels. Beginning with professional players, amateur competitors, college level teams, they even work with child athletes. Sports talent needs to be developed at an early age, thus these athletic therapists work closely with budding sportsmen to recognize this talent quickly. Thus, they play a key role in scouting new talent. Athletic therapists may also be involved in research groups to develop contemporary rehabilitation programs.

What is the Scope of Their Practice?
Anything related to player performance and injury specific rehabilitation, is within the sphere of practice of athletic therapists. They only lack surgical skills to attend to more serious sports injuries. One of their functions is player education. Their feedback is what guides players, when they make the important decisions of their careers.

Athletic therapists have already become an integral part of the professional sports world. Even military training camps keep an athletic therapist around, to ensure soldiers remain in peak physical fitness. The best part of athletic therapy is that you don’t have to be a particular age to begin. Anybody who leads an active lifestyle can make use of the services provided by an athletic therapist.

Get in touch with our professional physiotherapist at physical therapy Calgary to find out about our athletic therapy programs.