We Are All Athletes In The Game of Life
Introducing Susie MacPhee, Bkin, CAT (C)
Bragg Creek Physiotherapy is pleased to welcome Susie MacPhee, Certified Athletic Therapist, the newest member of our multi-service team. Susie is a Bragg Creek local, and is thrilled to be able to offer her skills and experience to the community. She has worked in Calgary with university athletes, various sports teams, and the general public for many years, and is looking forward to offering her unique perspective on injuries to the active individuals out here.
“So what exactly is Athletic Therapy?” It’s a question that Susie has been asked a lot in the 21 years since she started her training. Having spent that time working with everyone from adolescent soccer players, to high-performance athletes, to octogenarians who want to maintain their independence; she would tell you that it is an active treatment option for all of life’s athletes.
You may not see yourself as an athlete, but maybe you are forgetting all those stairs you climb everyday? Or what about when you run after your grandkids at the park? Maybe you are an ‘industrial athlete’ and your job requires you to bend, lift, push, pull and carry. You could be a fitness athlete achieving goals at the gym, or an endurance athlete adding more kilometres to your tally every week. How about the mom with littles, who is always lifting kids, carrying babies, squatting down, bending and twisting? Let’s not forget the outdoor enthusiast, who spends every spare minute outside hiking, biking, or gardening? When it comes down to it, if you move your body on a regular basis you really are an athlete!
If we are all athletes, then at some point we will need someone who understands that to come alongside us and help us stay in the game. This is where an Athletic Therapist excels. They are healthcare professionals who are highly trained in assessment, prevention, and care of musculoskeletal injuries. If you have injured a bone, muscle, ligament, or joint, or you want to avoid injuring those structures, then athletic therapy may be for you. Using a sports medicine model of care, athletic therapy includes assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and education. This helps you stay active in a healthy and pain-free manner.
Athletic Therapists might be highly recognizable when they work with professional athletes or at major sporting events; but most also work with the general public in clinical settings. As they often work directly with teams and athletes, Athletic Therapists have experience through the entire injury process. On the sideline, they are the first to see an injury happen and assess it, and provide immediate emergency care. They can then treat their clients through the whole recovery and rehab process. An Athletic Therapist will guide them through a return to activity program, and provide them with prevention strategies to reduce risk of re-injury and get them back to doing what they love.
No matter where you are in your state of injury, an Athletic Therapist might be just what you need to live your life with more movement. From recent ankle sprains, concussions, or muscle pulls; to long- term back pain, knee surgery preparation or rehab, shoulder stiffness or just that niggling pain in your elbow; an Athletic Therapist can set you back on the road to recovery. Regardless of your stage or level of activity, they are here for you.
If you are an athlete of life who needs help getting back into the game, book an appointment to see Susie today! She is ready to return you to the activities that bring you joy.
Bragg Creek Physiotherapy
www.braggcreekphysio.com
