Knee Injury Assessments, Rehab and Bracing
Life in a mountain town means knee injuries come with the territory. When your knee(s) need attention, you deserve specialized care that focuses on getting you back to the trails, slopes, training or work.
Advanced training in knee injuries
Custom knee bracing and fitting
Trusted by local health professionals
Understand what's going on with your knee
Dealing with a knee injury or pain can be stressful. From numerous appointments, opinions and not being sure where to start or who to trust, the whole process can add to the frustration of being injured and unable to do your normal activities.
Whether you had an epic yard sale crash or you’re dealing with nagging knee pain, we’ll guide you through every step of the recovery journey with treatments, education and bracing.
Services
Our certified athletic therapist combines specialized knowledge with hands-on care to help you recover from new and ongoing knee injuries—like ACL tears, sprains, osteoarthritis and post-surgical rehab—while preventing future problems.
Athletic Therapy
With a special focus on knees
An athletic therapist is a university educated health professional that focuses on the treatment, prevention, assessment, and active rehabilitation of muscle, bone, ligament, tendon and joint injuries.
All of our sessions are one-on-one and customized for your injury or issue.
While we still offer appointments for non-knee related injuries or issues, there is limited availability.
Custom Knee Bracing
For stability and pain relief
When it comes to keeping your knees stable and pain-free, the right brace can make all the difference.
We offer custom knee bracing solutions to match your activity level and needs. Our comprehensive fitting process ensures you get the best brace for skiing, biking, or simply staying active day-to-day.
See Bracing Options
- DonJoy Custom Knee Braces: For ACL, MCL, LCL, PCL injuries
- Knee “Unloader” Braces: For osteoarthritis, cartilage or meniscus injuries
Off-the-shelf bracing
High-quality braces without leaving the elk valley
For injuries that don’t require a custom solution, our durable off-the-shelf braces offer the perfect fit. Our athletic therapist will personally guide you in choosing the ideal brace for your specific injury, condition, and lifestyle, ensuring you get the support you need for work, sports, or daily activities.
See Bracing Options
- Range of Motion Braces: locking or hinged for pre or post-surgical rehab, MCL injuries
- Hinged Stability Braces: for sprains, strains + ligament injuries
- Patellar Stability Braces: for patellar dislocations, instability, tracking and knee cap related pain
- Additional Bracing: ankle, shoulder braces, heel cups, and kinesio taping
- Icing Machines: DonJoy IceMan and Cryo\Cuff
Custom Foot Orthotics
Reduce your foot pain
Benefit from a complimentary biomechanical and gait assessment and a 3D contact digitizing scan to have our pedorthist design orthotics that fit your unique needs.
This process may include heel cushioning cups, custom foot orthotics and suggested exercises for strengthening.
Don't Just Take It From Us
Know Before You Go
To ensure a smooth experience, please review these recommendations before your appointment:
First Assessment
- Wear or bring suitable clothing (e.g., shorts for knee or ankle assessments or a tank top for shoulder assessments).
- A parent or guardian must accompany children at their first appointment.
- Our schedule fills up quickly. We recommend pre-booking 1 or 2 follow-up appointments 1-2 weeks after your first scheduled appointment to ensure your spots are saved.
- Please bring any diagnostic reports you may have access to (xray, MRI, Ultrasound or CT)
Knee Appointment Waitlist
If you are a knee injury or bracing assessment patient and cannot find a time that you feel is appropriate for your urgency, please do the following add yourself to the waitlist here.
We may have unlisted availability for more urgent knee injury or bracing cases.
NOTE: not for other injuries or orthotics, these will be removed from the waitlist.
Bracing Appointment
Insurance Documentation Requirements
- Insurance policies vary—some require additional documents beyond a receipt (e.g., prescription, pre-authorization).
- Check the linked form for details on what you may need.
- Answers can be found in your policy or by calling the number on your benefits card.
- Many providers can email you a PDF with this information.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
- Clothing: Wear or bring suitable clothing (e.g., shorts for knee/ankle or a tank top for shoulder appointments).
- Diagnostic Reports: bring any relevant reports (e.g., X-ray, MRI, Ultrasound, CT).
- Bracing Equipment: Bring any current or past braces used for your injury.
Important Responsibility Note
- It is your responsibility to understand your insurance coverage.
- Fernie Athletic Therapy and Rehabilitation is not liable for denied claims.
- We do not direct bill. WSBC direct billing for custom knee braces MAY be an exception.
Orthotics Appointment
Insurance Documentation Requirements
- Insurance policies vary—some require additional documents beyond a receipt (e.g., prescription, pre-authorization).
- Check the linked form for details on what you may need.
- Answers can be found in your policy or by calling the number on your benefits card.
- Many providers can email you a PDF with this information.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
- Wear or bring shorts or leggings
- Bring “worn in” footwear and previous orthotics if applicable.
- Avoid pedicures or take pictures of any callus formation before the assessment as this can sometimes tell us things about your feet
- Bring a pair or two of shoes you are hoping to wear the new custom foot orthotics in
Important Responsibility Note
- It is your responsibility to understand your insurance coverage.
- Fernie Athletic Therapy and Rehabilitation is not liable for denied claims.
- We do not direct bill.
Strong knees for every adventure
At Fernie Athletic Therapy + Rehabilitation, we’ve been helping our community bounce back from injuries and stay active since 2006.
As Fernie’s first Athletic Therapy clinic, we’re dedicated to keeping you moving, with a special interest for helping people with knee issues get back into action.
With a mix of hands-on experience, ongoing learning, and a personal touch, we’re here to make sure you get the care you need to recover quickly and enjoy everything you love—whether that’s riding the trails, hitting the slopes, or just living life without pain.
Heather Lewis
Athletic Therapist + Founder
Faqs
Can I cancel my appointment?
- Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the therapist’s day that could have been filled by another patient. As such, we require 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment.
- Patients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, may be charged a cancellation fee.
- Outside the 24 hour timeline you can cancel through your online Fernie Athletic Therapy JaneApp account.
- Within 24 hours, please email info@fernieathletictherapy.com with your cancellation request.
How do I reschedule my appointment?
- You can reschedule your appointment through your online Fernie Athletic Therapy JaneApp account or email your reschedule request to info@fernieathletictherapy.com.
- Please note the cancellation policy above.
I don't have a knee injury, can you still help me?
- Heather has a special interest in knees therefore to have the majority of availability for these appointments, other types of assessments need to be limited.
- Please email (info@fernieathletictherapy.com) if you are hoping for any other assessment (past patients or family members may be triaged higher). Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Do you offer direct billing for bracing or appointments?
- No, we do not have the administrative capacity to do direct billing. WSBC direct billing for custom knee braces MAY be an exception.
Is it possible to have an appointment outside your regular schedule?
Not usually. If you are very challenged to make adjustments to your schedule and are adamant to see us, you can add yourself to the waitlist with the specific hours selected and a comment about your injury and availability.
Do you have a cancellation or waitlist?
- Yes, we do hold some short notice appointments for patients with knee injuries or need bracing.
- If you have a knee injury or need bracing you can add yourself to the waitlist here.
What brand of braces do you carry or use?
- DonJoy – https://enovis.com/our-brands/donjoy
- COMPEX – https://www.compex.com/ca/en/
- EXOS – https://enovis.com/our-brands/exos
- AirCast – https://enovis.com/our-brands/aircast
- ProCare – https://enovis.com/our-brands/procare
Can I bring another person to my appointment?
- Yes. It can be valuable to bring another person to help you remember what we discuss.
Contact Us
Fax
1-250-410-4882
Phone
Location:
Find us through the front/main door access of the Fernie Mountain Fitness building (CrossFit Fernie)
Parking:
Ignore the signs that say “CrossFit Fernie Parking Only” as we share parking with Fernie Mountain Fitness.
