Questions About Athletic Therapy

• What is Athletic Therapy?

  • Certified Athletic Therapists specialize in the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic muscle, bone, and joint injuries. We treat a wide range of patients, from the parent or grandparent chasing after their kids, to the weekend warrior to the recreational and competitive athlete. Using various manual therapies, modalities, and exercise prescription, a Certified Athletic Therapist can guide you towards reaching your goals. For more information, please feel free to check out the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association website.

• What is the difference between Athletic Therapy and Physiotherapy?

  • Certified Athletic Therapists specialize in orthopedic assessment and rehabilitation of all physical injuries as well as sport-specific exercise rehabilitation. Athletic Therapy is based on the sports medicine model of rehabilitation and does not involve the study of neurological, respiratory, or cardiovascular rehabilitation.

• Do I have to have a serious injury to see you?

  • Not at all! I enjoy working with clients whose goals are to create new workout plans, improve strength in a certain area, reach a new fitness goal, or work on an area of their body that feels like it needs some strengthening or assistance with reaching a goal.

• Is Athletic Therapy just for athletes?

  • Athletic Therapy is for everyone! Whether you are a parent or grandparent chasing after your children, a weekend warrior, or an elite athlete, Athletic Therapy can help you reach your goals! 

• What are the reasons people come and see you?

  • Clients book in with me for a variety of reasons including:

    • To guide them through an injury recovery for:

      • Muscle, bone, and joint injuries including: sprains, strains, fractures, post-surgical rehabilitation, general aches and pains, neck and back pain.

    • Injury prevention.

    • Guidance through an exercise program.

    • Postpartum and c-section recovery and return to exercise.

• What is involved in an appointment?

  • Appointments are catered to each individual person. We all have different injuries with a different history and a different end goal. This is your appointment. I am just here to guide you through it. Appointments can include modalities like:

    • Shockwave therapy, decompression, ultrasound, TENS and IFC, thermotherapy, cryotherapy, massage, mobilizations, myofascial cupping, acupuncture, exercise, etc. 

  • However, my goal is to teach you how to move to decrease pain and guide you towards fixing your injuries on your own through movement and exercise. 

• How long will my appointments be?

  • You can choose any length of appointment in 15 min increments between 30 and 90 minutes. 

  • I suggest 60 - 90 minutes for your first appointment. Choose a longer appointment if there are more things you want to discuss.

  • For follow-up appointments, choose the length needed in order to address your concerns. Choose longer appointments if there are more areas that you would like addressed. 

Cost / Billing Related Questions

• How much do appointments cost?

  • Arora Family Chiropractic: Please click here for a list of current prices.

  • Hayley Commons Condominiums: Please contact Ashley directly at 204-999-7802.

• Do you direct bill for Athletic Therapy?

  • At Arora Family Chiropractic

    • For your Athletic Therapy appointments, depending on your insurance coverage, we can direct bill: Canada-Life, Blue Cross, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), and Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB).

  • At Hayley Commons Condominiums

    • Unfortunately, I do not offer this service at this time.

• Will my insurance cover this?

  • Most private insurance companies will cover Athletic Therapy. If you have CanadaLife or Bluecross, our front desk staff would be happy to check your coverage for you. If you have another insurance company, unfortunately, they will not allow us to ask those questions on your behalf. 

• Do I need a prescription to come see you?

  • You do not need a prescription to book an appointment with me. However, your private insurance may require one so make sure you check in with them first!

    • The questions I recommend asking your insurance company are:

      • Do I have coverage for Athletic Therapy

      • How much will you cover?

      • At what percentage will you cover?

      • Is there a daily maximum?

      • Do I need a doctors prescription?

Appointment Related Questions

• What is acupuncture?

  • Acupuncture began in ancient China and has now developed into a modern method of pain relief. Very thin, single-use, sterile needles are used on specific points in the body. Acupuncture stimulates the body to produce its own pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins help to decrease pain and promote healing and relaxation. Acupuncture also works by activating the nerve fibers that interfere with the pain signals being sent to the brain. Everyone can respond differently to an acupuncture treatment. Pain relief may be felt right away, within a few hours, or even the next day. Essentially, acupuncture is just another way to interact with the nervous system.

  • Does acupuncture hurt?

    • The needles are very tiny and most of the time people will not even feel the needles. If you do feel it, they may feel like a mild discomfort that goes away very quickly. Some points can be more painful than others. 

• What is cupping?

  • It is suggested that myofascial cupping can help to decrease tension on the fascial system. Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds the body, muscles, organs, and bones. When there is an injury or compensation, the fascia can tighten up. This tightening can create pain and decrease strength. Loosening the fascia via cupping (or other means) can help to decrease that pain and increase strength. I always suggest following up a cupping session with a quick strength exercise to rework that movement pattern. Again, cupping is just another way to interact with the nervous system.

  • How long will it take for cupping marks to go away?

    • Some people will not get any cupping marks, but on average the marks will last a few days to 2 weeks.

• What type of clothing should I wear to my appointment?

  • For your first appointment, please bring a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt or tank top.

• How long will it take for me to see results?

  • My goal is for you to see results in days not weeks. I am not saying your pain or injury will be completely gone, but, I would like you to see a difference in how you feel or move at the end of your first appointment. 

• Should I continue to see another practitioner at the same time?

  • You can definitely continue working with your other health care providers. I am happy to collaborate with your team if that is what is needed.

• Do I need to stop exercising for my injury?

  • Nope :) In our appointments, we will work together to find ways to modify your exercises while guiding you to reach your goals.

Questions About Ashley

• How long have you been a Certified Athletic Therapist?

  • I graduated from the University of Winnipeg in 2012 and completed my national certification exams in 2013. 

• Why did you become an Athletic Therapist?

  • Growing up, I had a lot of injuries and spent a fair amount of time in Physiotherapy clinics. Through high school, I had decided I wanted to go into Physiotherapy. When I was looking into universities, I came across the Athletic Therapy program and their model of care caught my attention and that was that!

• What sports have you worked with?

  • As an Athletic Therapist, I worked with football, basketball, hockey, rugby, and gymnastics. Additionally, I coached recreational and regional stream gymnastics for over 10 years. 

• What sports do you enjoy?

  • Growing up I was always involved in swimming, softball, canoeing, and rowing (like a rowboat on the lake, not team / competitive rowing). I joined cadets when I was 12 and casually got into hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and kayaking. In university, I spent time in the gym, began running, and snowboarding. Notice I did not mention gymnastics? I had a lot of injuries as a kid and gymnastics just never worked out. I was involved with the community and began coaching when I was 15 starting with the kindergym and working towards coaching regional stream athletes as I became more comfortable with the sport.