What to Expect From Your First Appointment
By: Keri Sotak, MS, ATC, CES, MFDc
Owner of The Athletic Training Room of California
Oakland, CA & Elk Grove, CA
At The Athletic Training Room, we specialize in acute and chronic injuries that occur from exercise, sport, work, and from daily life. Or, you may have made an appointment to prevent future injury. No matter how the injury occurred or your goals, we are here to help you along the way.
Your experience at The Athletic Training Room is typically different from a traditional physical therapy visit you may be accustomed to. The obvious difference when working with The ATR is that you will always work one-on-one with your athletic trainer for the entire duration of every visit. This ensures a high level of care and detail that is given to you during the entirety of your appointment. In an initial visit, yourself and the athletic trainer will discuss any injuries, activities, and goals you may have. From there, the athletic trainer will perform an evaluation of any injuries and assess various movement patterns. The athletic trainer will discuss with you the findings and outline a treatment plan. Our goal is to not only help with pain you may be experiencing, but to also identify and solve the problem that may be causing the pain or recurrence of injury.
Our athletic trainers provide a very hands on approach to your care through the use of interventions and modalities. Following the evaluation, the athletic trainer will provide immediate treatment to begin your plan of care. One of these interventions is the use of manual therapies. Manual therapy is the use of hands-on techniques to manipulate or remodel tissue, correct movements patterns, and decrease pain. Manual therapies that are provided through The Athletic Training Room include soft-tissue massage, instrument assisted soft-tissue mobilization, myofascial decompression (“cupping), muscle releases, stretching, joint mobilizations, and others. We provide a research based approach to your treatment and care. Manual therapies have been shown to improve patient outcomes when used in conjunction with other interventions such as mobility training and strength training. You can find more information on specific manual therapies The ATR uses below.
Following any manual therapies the athletic trainer may see appropriate for you, exercises are introduced that will also be provided in the form of videos via email following your appointment. These exercises will be individualized to you based on your injury, movement patterns, activities, goals, and lifestyle. Exercises typically include a focus on stretching, mobility, and strengthening. Your appointment will end by answering any questions you may have and reiterating your individualized plan of care. This includes a discussion regarding any necessary follow-up appointments or referral to a physician or other provider, if appropriate. You will be emailed an individualized home exercise plan with videos and instructions on how and when to perform each exercise through the day and weeks.
Overall, you will receive individualized one-on-one care during every visit at The Athletic Training Room. Each visit consists of the following:
- Injury Evaluation
- Discussion of Goals
- Possible Manual Therapies
- Stretching, Mobility, and/or Strengthening Exercises
- A Detailed Plan of Care to Meet Your Goals
The Athletic Training Room offers patient-directed care, meaning as the patient you can help dictate the direction of your care based on your body’s needs. You will be an active participant in planning and reaching your goals every step of the way.
If you’re ready to start your journey with The Athletic Training Room in Elk Grove or Oakland, California, schedule your visit by clicking “Book Appointment”. Please reach out to us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns prior to your initial visit. We look forward to helping you reach your goals!
Find out more about a few of the manual therapies and techniques The Athletic Training Room uses:
- Instrument Assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization – Graston Technique
- Myofascial Decompression (often referred to as “cupping) – Cup Therapy
- Mobility Training – Functional Range Conditioning (FRC)
- Corrective Exercise – National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
Recent Comments