After a recent back injury, I started losing hope that I would ever regain my strength. Movement has always been a central part of my life, and as someone who prioritizes and is grounded in exercise and physical activity, being unable to return to my routine left me feeling restless and frustrated. It was not just the physical pain I was experiencing, but the emotional burden of being disconnected from the activities that I cherished.
As I met with different health professionals, I realized that each offered their own perspective on how to approach recovery. Each suggestion was well-intentioned, but I found it hard to recognize what felt right for me. I knew I wanted to play an active role in my healing, but I just was not sure where to begin.
Then I came across athletic therapy, something that had been on my radar for a while. I reached out to Synergy Sport Therapy in Guelph, Ontario, and their message immediately resonated with me: “You don't have to be an athlete. We treat active individuals and athletes, parents, kids, grandparents and anyone that moves.”
In my first treatment session with Certified Athletic Therapist (CAT(C)) Austin Briggs, I immediately felt a difference. The care felt more intentional, more detailed and deeply patient-centered.
Leading with an in-depth physical evaluation and asking thoughtful questions about my movement history, Austin explored factors that I had never considered before. He didn't just ask how much pain I was in, he asked me to describe it, pinpoint it, explain what eases it and identify what made it worse. This attention to my injury was validating, reflecting that the goal was to understand my pain, not just treat it.
Austin assessed my walking patterns, hip mobility and range of motion. He explained the structure of the session and the steps we’d be taking, emphasizing his philosophy that movement and exercise are central to his treatment plans. When he asked me about my end goal, it was more than a question, but a statement of possibility. For the first time since my injury, I felt that the light at the end of the tunnel was not fading, but a goal I could genuinely work towards.
From there, he walked me through an in-depth assessment explaining what he was observing and why it mattered. He helped me understand some basic movement principles, such as how to brace my core properly, demonstrating how this simple adjustment could significantly impact both movement and pain.
What made athletic therapy different from what I had experienced before was that the treatment was not rushed or generalized but personalized, precise and deeply educational. Every step was intentional, and every technique had a purpose, and I, the patient, was involved in my recovery, not just treated.
During palpatation, Austin was able to pinpoint the areas contributing to my pain, something I hadn’t experienced in previous assessments. He also introduced new concepts, like the idea that hip flexors don't just need stretching, but with this kind of injury, they needed simultaneous strengthening. Strength and stretch were no longer opposites, but partners; he demonstrated this through hip flexor-specific exercises, allowing me to understand and feel the concept firsthand.
Austin ruled out all possibilities before arriving at a diagnosis. Much of my discomfort stemmed from my quadratus lumborum, commonly called the “QL”, a muscle I had never heard of before. He explained its function and how sedentary office work had contributed to the issue, giving me clarity on my path forward.
With exercises and modalities fully personalized to my body, we started with foundational core activation, hip flexor and QL strengthening and stretching, before reintroducing gym movement and exercises I had been avoiding. With corrections in posture, bracing and muscle activation, routine exercises suddenly felt completely different.
Throughout our work, Austin emphasized that recovery is a process of understanding and ownership. Education of our anatomy, he explained, strengthens motivation and allows patients to actively participate in their own healing.
I left the clinic with a deeper understanding of my own body, why certain muscles felt weak or tight and how to safely rebuild strength. I regained confidence in the gym and in my everyday movement, fuelled by knowledge and a sense of control. Through Austin’s treatment approach, which bridged education, practice, and movement, I reconnected with my body and reclaimed my healing journey in a way I hadn't thought was possible.
Athletic therapy is so much more than stretching or range of motion exercises; it is a focused, in-depth analysis of you, your body and your goals. With an emphasis on knowledge sharing, individualized planning and functional progress, it offers the kind of guidance and clarity that can unveil a visible path towards recovery to help you reach new heights in movement and wellness. You don’t have to be an athlete, you don't even have to be in pain. Athletic therapy is for anyone who moves, anyone with a goal of improving how they move, and anyone committed to enhancing their wellness for years to come.
Looking for Certified ATs near you? Use the Find My AT function using the link here: https://athletictherapy.org/resources/memberdirectory
Learn more about Synergy Sport Therapy in Guelph, Ontario, here: https://synergysporttherapy.com/
Have your own patient experience to tell? Become a part of the advocacy and awareness movement with the Move Freely Live Fully insurance campaign. Email your testimonial to: info@athletictherapy.org
This blog is written from a first-person perspective and highlights one patient’s experience seeing a Certified Athletic Therapist for the first time. It’s important to note that experiences may vary, and the purpose of this piece is to raise awareness and showcase the positive impact athletic therapy can have on a patient’s life.
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