Athletic Therapy is the prevention, assessment, acute management, rehabilitation and reconditioning of musculoskeletal injuries. An Athletic Therapist is certified through the Canadian Athletic Therapist's Association (CATA) upon completion of a Kinesiology degree and an accredited Athletic Therapy program.
Athletic Therapists work in both clinical and field settings. In a clinical setting, therapists assess and treat musculoskeletal injuries utilizing therapeutic modalities, soft tissue mobilization and exercise.
In a field setting, an Athletic Therapist is responsible for prevention of injuries through prophylactic or supportive taping, proper warm-up/cool-down and conditioning programs. Their primary role in a field setting is to assess and manage acute injuries that occur on the field.
The CATA promotes a rapid return to both work and play by introducing exercise early in the rehabilitation process. The sport medicine model of active rehabilitation is followed closely, this model promotes early introduction of exercise combined with traditional treatment techniques. An Athletic Theapist will also focus on maintenance of a patient's cardiovascular fitness, core strength and flexibility throughout the rehabilitation process. The patient is actively involved in the rehabilitation process from both a physical and educational perspective. The kinesiology background of an Athletic Therapist allows them to implement sport specific activity throughout the rehabilitation process.
