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FAQ:
Q:
What is Athletic therapy and active rehabilitation and how does it help?
Athletic therapy and kinesiology
keep you moving by promoting optimal health and
mobility for any injury. You don’t need to be an
athlete to benefit. Conditions can include any
chronic or recent injury. In fact athletic
therapists are specialists at acute phase,
trauma injuries that happen on the field, ice or
court in sports.
Athletic therapy and kinesiology:
- is a
non-intrusive, cost-effective choice for
managing your health
- helps to
identify, alleviate, correct and prevent
acute or prolonged pain or movement
dysfunction
- encourages
your independence through patient education
- helps you
achieve your highest level of physical
functioning (at any stage of life) by
providing you with a personalized treatment
plan based on your specific needs.
The Athletic
Therapists at West Coast Kinesiology Orthopaedic Injury and Sports
Therapy are university-educated manual
therapists with years of clinical experience. We
assess and treat a wide range of conditions -
whether it’s back or neck pain, pelvic
imbalance, shoulder or arm restrictions, knee or
leg problems, sports injuries, headaches, soft
tissue injuries, postural concerns and much
more.
Q:
What can I expect on my initial visit?
During the initial visit, the therapist will ask questions about the history of the condition, assess the current problem, perform a physical examination, outline a treatment protocol and provide the first treatment. We encourage you to ask questions so that you understand how athletic therapy will help and how you can be an active participant in your own rehabilitation and prevention.
Q:
What special treatment techniques does West Coast Kinesiology Orthopaedic Injury and Sports Therapy clinic offer?
The athletic
therapists have an expansive range of current
treatment approaches through professional
continuing education, courses, teaching and
experience in the field. We use a team approach
to assist you with your needs.
- Manual
therapy mobilization and muscle energy
techniques for the spine, pelvis, cranium
and all the joints of the arm and legs
- Muscle balance
assessment and specific strengthening exercises
- Sports
specific therapy
- Taping
- Soft tissue
massage
- Myofascial
release techniques
- Postural
assessment and education
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Electrotherapy modalities when indicated
(Ultrasound, Laser, Interferential Current,
T.E.N.S., Muscle Stimulation)
- Core
stabilization work
- Ball and balance
board exercises
- Stationary
bike, weights, pulleys, theraband exercises
-
Active Release Techniques® (ART) for the
lower extremities
For more information about
Athletic Therapy click here.
Q:
How long is a typical treatment session?
Appointments are typically 60 minutes with your kinesiologist and 30 to 60 minutes in duration with your athletic therapist depending on your treatment.
We pride ourselves in our treatment approach to your specific needs, so we make sure that ‘your scheduled appointment is your time’. This means that you can expect one-on-one evaluation, education and treatment with your athletic therapist or kinesiologist. Longer appointments are available when necessary.
Q:
Is athletic therapy or kinesiology covered by my extended health provider?
Yes, on some plans, while others may not.
The following Insurance Companies have accepted billing
for Athletic Therapy. Please note that each
individual policy will vary. Patients need to
look into their individual insurance plan
because although an insurance provider may offer
Athletic Therapy as an option, the plan will be
dependant on what services the employer has
selected for their employees benefit package.
Aetna
Allsport
Insurance Marketing
Canadian Hockey Association
Canada Life Assurance Company
Citadel Assurance
Clarica
The Co-Operators
Desjardins Financial Security
The Economical Insurance Group
Equitable Life of Canada
Great West Life Assurance Company
Greenshield
Industrial-Alliance Pacific
Laurentian Imperial
Liberty Health
Manulife Financial
Premier Life Insurance Company
Reliable Life Insurance Company
Segwich
Standard Life
Sun Life Financial
Wawanesa Life
University
Student Plans
Langara College (LSU)
SFU (SFSS) Health Plan
UBC (AMS/GSS)
UFV - University of the Fraser Valley (SUS)
We treat clients with ICBC and Long Term Disability claims and if your coverage is approved, in most cases we just bill these insurers directly. The majority of extended health plans cover our services, but you need to pay us at the time of the appointment and submit your receipt to your plan for reimbursement. WCB and MSP do not cover our services at this time.
The following
sporting bodies have coverage for Athletic
Therapy.
BC Hockey
Hockey Canada
PRINTABLE HOCKEY CANADA INJURY REPORT FORM
BC Soccer Association
BC Amateur Baseball Association
Baseball BC
Basketball BC
BC Lacrosse Association
BC Rugby
Canoe/Kayak BC
Equine Canada (Equestrian)
Field Hockey BC
Gymnastics BC
Judo BC
Ringette Canada
Slo-pitch National Association
Snowboard BC
Softball BC
Squash BC
Swim BC
Triathlon BC
(coverage)
CFL Players' Association
NHL Officials' Association
PRINTABLE ATHLETIC ACCIDENT CLAIM FORM
Skate Canada and Skate BC
Alpine Skiing BC (summary
of coverage document)
Provincial and Nationally carded athletes (CAIP) (Sports
Insurance - Accidental Medical Form)
All of these
associations cover Athletic Therapy, but
each association may have slightly different
procedures (like doctors signature forms,
time lines for reporting injuries and total
dollars covered) so you are encouraged to
contact your association for more details.
However, therapy can usually start right
away and you submit receipts to the insurer
to get reimbursed. Many of these
associations have downloadable claim forms
and information on their web-sites.
Q:
How many sessions will it take?
After assessing you, we will
have a better idea of how many sessions you will need. Some injuries are less complicated and require less one-to-one time. Other injuries are more complicated and may require regular attendance once, twice, or three times a week for a number of weeks. Examples of some of the more complicated injuries are rotator cuff, tennis elbow, lumbar disc injuries, carpal tunnel, and most shoulder and knee injuries. Injuries such as motor vehicle or long-term disability injuries are usually covered by insurers and normally take no more than 6 to 10 weeks of treatment.
Rehabilitation
Services
We provide rehabilitation for a variety of
conditions including:
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Motor vehicle accidents |
Sports injuries |
Rotator cuff injuries |
Ligament sprains |
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Chronic groin strain/sports hernia |
Muscle strains |
Myofascial release |
Hip pain |
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Lumbar disc herniation |
Shoulder impingement |
Plantar fascitis |
Arthritis |
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Tennis/carpenter's elbow |
Tension headaches |
Fibromyalgia |
Obesity |
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Hip/knee replacement |
Multiple sclerosis |
Osteoporosis |
Spinal/brain injury |
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Cardiac and stroke rehab |
Carpal tunnel syndrome |
Golfers elbow |
And
more.... |
HOW DOES THE SERVICE WORK?
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You don’t need a referral to see us. If you want your extended health plan to cover our services you will probably need a doctor/specialist referral or other health practitioner referral note.
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Initial consultation/assessment with an experienced athletic therapist or kinesiologist.
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Therapeutic treatment and/or active rehabilitation program.
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Follow-up treatments appropriate for your functional level and a frequency that is appropriate for your stage of injury.

ART is a patented, state of the
art soft tissue system/movement based massage
technique that treats problems with muscles,
tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches,
back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints,
shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee
problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the
many conditions that can be resolved quickly and
permanently with ART. These conditions all have one
important thing in common: they are often a result
of overused muscles.
How do overuse conditions occur?
Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change
in three important ways:
- acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions,
etc),
- accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
- not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia).
Each of these factors can cause your body to
produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up
and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up,
muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and
nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of
strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness,
and weakness.
What is an ART treatment like?
Every ART session is actually a combination of
examination and treatment. The ART provider uses his or her hands to evaluate
the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and
nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension
with very specific patient movements.
These treatment protocols - over 500 specific
moves - are unique to ART. They allow providers to identify and correct the
specific problems that are affecting each individual patient. ART is not a
cookie-cutter approach.
The following form
letters, created by the
Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, are
available to download and submit for request of
Athletic Therapy Services.
Letter to Human Resources (For Patients Not Yet Receiving Athletic Therapy)
Letter to Human Resources (For Patients Already Receiving Athletic Therapy)
Letter to your Insurance Provider (For Patients Not yet receiving Athletic Therapy)
Letter to your Insurance Provider (For Patients Already receiving Athletic Therapy)
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