Q&A with alisha



Q1. Do you need to do a movement assessment before you begin training?



Yes, Absolutely!

Even if you're not experiencing any particular pain, you want to avoid reinforcing faulty movement patterns as you are training under load. The movement assessment allows the therapist to locate any compensations or deficits so that an individualized exercise program can be designed with the aim of injury rehabilitation and prevention.


After completing a movement assessment, the therapist will be able to integrate the reconditioning exercises that are specific to their findings within your training program.



Q2. What’s the difference between movement assessment and reconditioning?



Movement screening is a great way to flag an individual who is at risk of sustaining injuries. However, it does not investigate the various causes behind an individual's faulty movement pattern or their injuries. A reconditioning specialist performs movement assessments by holistically examining the individual. Not only do they examine their movements, but a clinical assessment is also integrated within the movement screens via manual testing and breathing assessments. This allows the therapist to pinpoint the dysfunctions that could be driving the patient's injuries with much more precision!


Moreover, because movement screens do not typically test individuals under much load, they may not reflect the risk of injury in a person who performs physical activities at higher demands involving acceleration, deceleration, jumps, cuts, and spins. During the reconditioning session, a dynamic movement assessment that is specific to the patient's movement demand is included so that it may reflect their actual lifestyle!


In other words, a movement screening is a test performed to identify faulty movement patterns, whereas reconditioning is a more global approach that takes into account the patient's daily movement needs.



Q3. In what case would you perform manual therapy?



During the movement assessment, soft tissue and articular restrictions may be detected along the chain through manual testing. They can be key drivers in faulty movement patterns since your body must find ways to compensate for the stiffness in those particular areas. To optimize your ability to perform your strengthening exercises properly, the therapist will debut the reconditioning session with some active manual therapy to jumpstart the release of the restrictions. The appropriate mobility and flexibility exercises will be prescribed so that you may anchor the effects of the treatment. The degree of your restrictions and, if present, the state of your injury will determine the amount of manual therapy necessary for your subsequent treatments.



Q4. How does your manual therapy differ from that performed by a physiotherapist or an osteopath or even a massage therapist?



Athletic therapists target the musculoskeletal system with similar manual techniques that are used across different health care professionals. To prepare your body for movement during the reconditioning session, the athletic therapists’ manual therapy will mostly take on an active approach. Essentially, either you or the therapist will be moving your limbs as they perform the manual therapy on your joints and muscles with techniques such as articular mobilizations with movement, active soft tissue release, and fascial stretching.



Q5. What if I just want a training session, like with a personal trainer? Do athletic therapists also do that?



Athletic therapists do similar things as a personal trainer in terms of prescribing exercises to improve strength and endurance. However, this is done with a therapeutic approach to injury prevention and rehabilitation. For example, even if you are not experiencing any pains, the therapist will gear you up with exercises to make sure that you are doing your squats with proper core activation, joint mobility, and flexibility so that you may build up your strength with fewer back injuries!


An athletic therapist helps you achieve broader goals, such as preventing injury while training for a marathon, or playing around with your toddler without throwing out your back. However, an athletic therapist, unlike a personal trainer, does not necessarily work with you to achieve weight loss/gain goals, strength training goals, or aesthetic goals.



Q6. What if I just want a program to do at my current gym? Can an Athletic Therapist give me a training program?



The keyword is injury prevention!

Because you want to avoid reinforcing faulty movement patterns as you are training under load, Alisha will build a program that allows you to strengthen and condition your body in an optimal manner. After completing a movement assessment, the therapist will be able to integrate the reconditioning exercises that are specific to their findings within your training program.


Exercises are prescribed at the end of every session, just like a physio gives you exercises as homework, but these exercises don’t necessarily take on the form of a fitness program. Rather, Alisha sees her patients on a more frequent basis in order to perfect each stretch and exercise before prescribing it to you. As her exercises and stretches often require a lot of cueing and muscle memory, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.