Physiotherapy focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of physical impairments and disabilities, while athletic therapy primarily deals with the prevention, immediate care, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries for athletes and active individuals.
Physiotherapy is a registered health care profession involved in rehabilitation. Physiotherapists are educated in a wide scope of treating injuries and dysfunction in the body through manual therapies and therapeutic modalities including Cardio Respiratory Rehab, Therapy for Neurological disorders or stroke rehab and Orthopedics as well as some other specialized areas like Pediatric and burn patients.
Orthopedic clinical Physiotherapists specialize in physical therapy for musculoskeletal injuries due to musculoskeletal disorders. They focus on physical reconditioning and with injury assessment for anatomical injuries.
Other areas that Physiotherapists can specialize in are therapies for stress management, pelvic floor, car accident victims or chronic injury.
Athletic Therapists (ATs) are another type of physical therapists and have a specialized scope of practice. They are trained in Orthopedics, but have two areas of training. These include clinical care for musculoskeletal injuries and on-field immediate care for sports injuries and major trauma. They often work with national teams.
Athletic Therapists specialize in orthopedic injury assessment of anatomical injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. They follow a sports medicine model of injury prevention, early intervention and accurate diagnosis to facilitate return to physical activity, including an active lifestyle, job or sport. ATs are found in clinics like sports clinics, sometimes with other healthcare professionals.
ATs are also generally Kinesiologists and have a strong background in strength and conditioning to guide you in exercise prescription to help the healing process. Athletic Therapists are also strong in therapeutic modalities.
Athletic Therapists in Ontario can also be registered and regulated through the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario.
Physiotherapists must have a Degree in Physiotherapy.
They must then complete a written and practical exam to be registered as a Physiotherapist.
Athletic Therapists must have a Degree in Kinesiology or similar program followed by a Post-Graduate program in Athletic Therapy.
They must then complete 1200 practical hours of field and clinical Athletic Therapy and written, clinical and field practical exams to become a Certified Athletic Therapist.
Physiotherapists and Athletic Therapists both have formal education and practical experience. For PTs it is in a wider scope in hospitals, clinics and retirement homes. For ATs it is in clinical and sports field settings.
Both Physiotherapists and Athletic Therapists recieve physician referrals, but PTs tend to be covered more frequently by insurance coverage. Most will cover Physiotheray, but some will cover Athletic Therapy or Kinesiology.
When the therapists specialize in clinical orthopedic care, Athletic Therapy and Physiotherapy can be very similar.
Both Orthopedic clinical Physiotherapists and Athletic Therapists specialize in clinical assessment and treatment to aide in the healing process of musculoskeletal injuries. They both provide physical therapy, rehabilitation techniques, exercise prescription, hands-on treatment, manual therapy and therapeutic modalities aimed at treating injuries with both immediate care and chronic injuries from underlying physical issues as well as stress management in mind. Both Physiotherapy and Athletic Therapy provide hands-on treatment for physical therapy in the manual therapies of soft tissue or massage therapy and joint mobilization.
Both Physiotherapists and Athletic Therapists can work on their own or in clinics with other healthcare professionals including Massage Therapy
You should seek Physiotherapy if you have an injury to the joints and soft tissues in your body that occured for unknown reasons or as a result of an injury from underlying physical issues causing chronic injury, physical activity, an active lifestyle or sport, a car accident, a workplace injury or disease or disorder affecting your soft tissues and joints.
You could also seek Physiotherapy in other settings for stroke rehab, cardio respiratory rehab, neurological disorders, pelvic floor or burn patients.
You should seek Athletic Therapy if you are dealing with an injury of the joints or soft tissues that occured due to or is preventing the return to activity or sport. If you are an active person, industrial athlete, athlete or part of any of our national teams who needs immediate care for minor or major trauma or chronic overuse sports injuries, you may wish to work with an Athletic Therapist.
If you are considering Physiotherapy vs. Athletic Therapy and would like to see an Athletic Therapist, but your plan does not cover Athletic Therapy, we can still help.
We are one of the leading sports clinics in the city and our Physiotherapists are highly skilled and experienced in treating athletic injuries. We have a Sports Physiotherapist and a Physiotherapist who completed education in both Athletic Therapy and Physiotherapy.
