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robichaud: why you should get a physiotherapy assessment
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as the physiotherapist examined my body, tested different movements and stretches, evaluated mobility and pain, it became more and more apparent that my suspected groin injury was only a small piece of the puzzle.
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i’ve fought long and hard to be considered the “athlete” in my family. i play organized hockey and soccer. i used to play softball. i like to golf even though i’m not good at it. i’ve seen the inside of the gym. i know—it screams athlete.
joking aside, i’ve always looked at my athletic participation as an indicator of my physical well-being. i can handle an elevated heart rate and a bit of sweat. i’m not in significant pain and don’t experience lingering soreness after a game or workout. i listened to my body and i thought we were cool.
in december 2025, i started having some lower-body issues. i started to experience some pain in my upper thighs and lower abdomen. the pain became worse after hockey and soccer games.
i did some research and ran some personal fitness tests (at the instruction of my research) to try and further understand what i was going through. the most popular assumption was a groin injury—possibly strained adductor muscles.
i decided to “treat myself” and take an extended break from all sports. every few days, i would squeeze a ball between my knees to measure muscle pain, or try and fail to do dead bugs (lying on your back with your knees in the air at 90 degrees; extend one leg forward and the opposite arm back). as the pain persisted, i knew i wasn’t ready to return.
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i missed nearly 10 weeks before returning to action. my first soccer game back was rusty and painful. my first hockey game back was rusty and painful. with more than two months of rest and a few strengthening exercises along the way, i didn’t feel even close to returning to full speed.
the whole time, i didn’t seek any professional help. i fall into the category of men who don’t go to the doctor when they should. i’m working on that.
my physiotherapy assessment
after failing to manage the injury myself, i decided to book an assessment with a physiotherapist. i had already planned to take the summer off from organized athletics, so it was the perfect time to get looked at and begin a more structured path to healing.
it was the best decision i made throughout this whole process (there weren’t many good decisions to choose from), but it was also extremely disheartening.
as the physiotherapist examined my body, tested different movements and stretches, evaluated mobility and pain, it became more and more apparent that my suspected groin injury was only a small piece of the puzzle.
it turns out, i likely have a strained sartorius muscle—the longest muscle in the human body that goes from the hip down to the knee. it helps with flexing and rotating the hip, and flexing the knee.
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but the examination also revealed a curve in my spine, an arch in my neck, weak back muscles, weak lower-body muscles, forward hips causing poor posture and other muscle weakness, and more.
while i thought sports and the gym were keeping me fit(ter), my career hunched over a computer has been cancelling much of it out.
the impact of a desk job
the reality is that i work at a desk. i’m at my desk and on my laptop for eight hours a day— sometimes more. i’m proud of the work i do, but i’m ashamed of my own negligence.
i’ve long heard (and been told by my wife) that i need to get up more; i should get a standing desk and a walking pad. i’ve heard that sedentary jobs and lifestyles can be silent killers in the long run. i just didn’t think it applied to me.
well, now it does—and it always has.
i’m unhappy that i ignored the impact of my job for so long, but i’m grateful that i was able to get evaluated and see a path forward.
why you should get a physio assessment
you should get a physio assessment to prepare yourself for the future. it’s important to understand your body and the impact of your daily life—from your job to your hobbies. it’s also important to do it before an injury forces you that way.
we all need maintenance, whether we work at a desk or at a construction site. after all, i want to be able to bend over when i’m 60.
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this week marks the first of a six-week physio program. it will be part rehab for my injury and part working on strength and stability throughout my body.
for now (a week since my assessment), i’m walking like an upright gorilla with my shoulders back, chest up and butt out. i also got a standing desk and a walking pad.
my wife is thrilled.
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