Athletic Therapy
If you’ve ever had a sports injury or nagging pain that won’t go away, chances are you’ve been told to see a physiotherapist—but what about an athletic therapist? While both professions focus on injury recovery and movement, they’re not the same thing. Read on to learn exactly what athletic therapy is, how it is both different and similar to physiotherapy, and what you can expect when working with an athletic therapist.
What Is Athletic Therapy?
Athletic Therapy is a specialized branch of healthcare that focuses on the prevention, assessment, and treatment of musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries—which include muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons. Athletic therapists skills apply to anyone with physical injuries, whether from sports, work, or everyday life.
Think sprains, strains, concussions, dislocations, post-surgical rehab—you name it. If it affects your ability to move, an athletic therapist can likely help.
How Is Athletic Therapy Different from Physiotherapy?
While both professions aim to restore function and reduce pain, there are a few key differences. Athletic therapists work exclusively with MSK while physiotherapists can work in a range of settings such as hospitals and rehab care centres. Physiotherapists can be trained in respiratory, neurological, and women’s health physiotherapy. Athletic therapists focus on fast recovery and active rehabilitation. Treatments are hands on and exercise based.
To simplify: Athletic therapists are movement specialists focused on getting you back to peak performance—fast,
What Does an Athletic Therapist Actually Do?
An athletic therapist’s role includes:
- Injury assessment & diagnosis: Understanding the root cause of pain or dysfunction.
- Immediate care: Emergency response to acute injuries (especially in sports settings).
- Rehabilitation programs: Customized, exercise-based plans to restore strength, mobility, and function.
- Manual therapy: Hands-on techniques like joint mobilizations or soft tissue release.
- Education & prevention: Teaching proper movement patterns and injury prevention strategies.
- Return-to-play planning: Guiding athletes safely back to sport with performance-focused rehab.
They often work with a variety of people: professional and amateur athletes, weekend warriors, active individuals recovering from injury, and even non-athletes wanting to move pain-free.
Do You Need to Be an Athlete to See an Athletic Therapist?
Not at all. Although athletic is in the title, athletic therapists work with anyone who has any MSK issue. Injuries ranging from digging weeds in the garden or living it large on the dancefloor to athletes who are trying to prevent injuries while training for a marathon, athletic therapists are on hand to get you back to your very best.
So Who Do I Need to See?
Athletic therapy is all about getting you moving, pain-free, and performing at your best. While physiotherapists offer a broader scope of care, both physiotherapists and athletic therapists specialize in active rehabilitation for musculoskeletal issues—often making them a go-to choice for physically active individuals.
If you’re dealing with an injury and want a hands-on, movement-first approach to recovery, an athletic therapist or physiotherapist will be exactly who you need on your team.
Here at Revive Physiotherapy we are lucky enough to have three physiotherapists with diverse backgrounds and an athletic therapist in our team. Click here to find out more about our team and how we can help