by Lauren Orser, Athletic Therapist, Concussion North

Absolutely not! Athletic therapists treat a wide range of people, from professional and amateur athletes to active adults, teens and children to anyone who has sustained a musculoskeletal injury. It doesn’t matter where or how an injury occurred, if it involves muscles, bones or joints, an Athletic Therapist can help.

We have specialized training in on-site emergency care and we’re often the first to respond when someone gets hurt during a game. Athletic Therapists are experts at injury assessment so we’re a great resource to have standing by to support your team. We also have extensive experience in taping, bracing and various rehabilitation therapies so we can help you stay mobile and active while you get back to your regular activity level after an injury. It’s this combination of on-site treatment at sporting events and after-injury rehabilitation skills that make us really good at treating you when you’ve strained a muscle lifting a box, bruised a bone due to a fall or twisted a knee while playing hockey.

Athletic Therapy is covered by some insurance plans. Insurance companies that provide coverage in Ontario include:

Great West Life
Standard Life
Blue Cross
Desjardin
Claim Secure
Sun Life
Manulife
Empire Life
Greenshield

There are also some organizations that provide coverage for Athletic Therapy treatment. Here is a partial list:

Hockey Canada
Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Soccer Association
Ontario Football Alliance
Ontario Baseball
Alpine Canada
Snowboard Canada
Judo Canada
Canadian Ski and Snowboard Association
Ontario Volleyball Association (listed as physiotherapy but Athletic Therapy accepted)
Ontario Speed Skating Association
Ontario Slo-Pitch Association (listed as physiotherapy but Athletic Therapy accepted)

We encourage you to verify with your insurance company that your services will be covered prior to receiving treatment. Many insurance companies will actually approve Athletic Therapy if you call and request it.

If you have any questions about how an Athletic Therapist might support you or your team, we’d be happy to chat. Give us a call at the clinic to book a consultation.