Sports Physical Therapy in Denver
Sports Rehab & Performance Physical Therapy
Just like physicians who specialize in different areas of medicine, physical therapists can earn certifications in niches of rehabilitation. Sports Physical Therapy is different from typical orthopedic training in that it applies manual therapy techniques, therapeutic exercise prescription and modality application to the athletic population. Athletes tend to have different injuries, different activity risks and different responses to the rehabilitation process than most non-competitors. They also have to deal with decisions affecting their competitive season, off-season conditioning programs and have a heavier reliance on nutritional supplementation. The STC (Sports Therapist, Certified) is trained in how to administer these rehabilitation applications in both on and off-the-field settings and can collaborate more efficiently with athletic trainers and team physicians in managing the needs of athletes rehabilitating sports injuries.
There are also benefits to non-athletes who receive care from a Sports Physical Therapist as opposed to non-certified providers. There is a heavy academic component to the certification process as well as practical examinations in manual therapy techniques and exercise-based interventions. The additional training required to complete the exams goes above and beyond entry-level physical therapy instruction and authenticates the competence and aptitude required to satisfy the master clinicians in physical therapy and athletic training that evaluate STC candidates. Each certified therapist has demonstrated proficiency in the knowledge and skills required in evaluating and treating collegiate and professional athletes, and they utilize this expertise with every client…athlete or not.
The Sports Physical Therapy certification is awarded by the University of St. Augustine in conjunction with the North American Sports Medicine Institute. The instructors in this curriculum are recognized leaders, clinicians and researchers in their respective fields. They combine their didactic knowledge with field-tested practical techniques that have been used to rehabilitate athletes from nearly every major sport. Drs. Stanley Paris, Catherine Patla, Michael Voight, Tab Blackburn, Danny Smith and their colleagues each contribute to the certification program and are personally involved in the course instruction and examination for certification candidates. For more information on the STC program, visit NAMSI.
Cherry Creek Wellness Center staffs Certified Sport Therapists at their Lone Tree location. Call 303-333-3493 x4 to see if sports physical therapy would benefit you.
