As a primary caregiver, a physiotherapist can assess, diagnose, and treat your injury through a combination of methods that may include: manual therapy; manipulation; acupuncture; modalities such as ultrasound, laser and heat; and/or exercise prescription.

Education plays an important role in physiotherapy. The goal of physiotherapy is to return you to your optimal function and strength, while educating you about your injury. This allows you to independently maintain a healthy body without the constant supervision of a therapist. For more information on Physiotherapy, including training, scope of practice and treatment methods, please visit the Canadian Physiotherapy Association’s website.

The key to expedient return to sport following injury is early intervention and accurate assessment of the injury. Physiotherapists are more equipped for this task than any other health care provider. The staff at Kinetic have thousands of hours of hands-on primary sports injury care. We are part of a multidisciplinary clinic with connections throughout the medical community. Physiotherapists can reduce the amount of time it takes to return to full function, and provide a gradual return schedule that allows you to get back to the sport you love without risking further injury.

The baby boomer generation were markedly more active than previous ones and with that came many more ligament injuries. As time has passed many of those knees have become arthritic. Custom bracing has enabled those with ligament injury or arthritic knees to continue to participate in sport. Staff at Kinetic are skilled at assessing the joint for instability or degeneration and can cast and dispense custom or high end off-the-shelf braces.

Dr. Chan Gunn, Vancouver physician, was impressed by the results of pain control using acupuncture and began using it in his practice. After a number of years he developed the now widely used Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) delivery system. IMS is a deep dry needle technique that seeks to relax tight muscle fibers or bands of fibers in a specific area. Unlike Chinese medicine acupuncture, all the points are local to the area of pain. There are many benefits to this modality, including the ability of chronic pain sufferers to reduce or eliminate the use of medications to relieve pain. Dr. Gunn himself trains all the physiotherapists who practice IMS at the ISTOP here in Vancouver.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment art that uses established points to treat physical and medical conditions. As a valid treatment option for pain and joint dysfunction acupuncture has become one of the cornerstones within the physiotherapy profession. All physiotherapists who practice acupuncture undergo a long and regulated education process. Amazing results can be obtained with the select use of even a few points. In most cases the therapists will use acupuncture as part of a more comprehensive treatment regimen. All needles are new and sterile.

Our aging population is remaining active for longer now than ever before, and knee and hip replacements are becoming more common place.  Physiotherapy is an important post-surgical step for those looking to regain mobility and range of motion, and most hospitals will cover the cost of a certain amount of  treatment by a registered Physiotherapist.  Post surgical rehab requires dedication and determination, but a complete treatment plan, including assisted stretching, exercise and various modalities, can offer some fantastic results.    

The cornerstone of treatment for back and neck pain is joint mobilization and exercise. The physiotherapists working in this field have completed several years of Post Graduate study and have passed rigorous exams to allow them to practice. Today’s Physiotherapists will have studied at least 10 years to become manual therapists. Safety is paramount in this field and the knowledge base of the profession makes it the most respected in Spinal Manipulative Care. Manipulation is performed as part of an overall program of education and exercise.

Physiotherapy was founded on the knowledge base of the movement of the human body (now known as Kinesiology). One of the most important aspects of physiotherapy is the assessment and treatment of impaired movement function. Rehabilitation from surgery, disease or injury is based on the restoration of normal or modified muscular actions. Restoration of function is the Physiotherapist’s field of expertise. Whether following a knee or hip replacement, an industrial or car accident, a sports injury, or a disease process physiotherapy can significantly decrease recovery time and help prevent future injury. Exercise is Physiotherapy.

Workers that have sustained an injury on the job may find it difficult to return to the workforce. Physiotherapist through their extensive knowledge of exercise prescription can design and run “Back to Work” conditioning programs custom made to restore function and endurance for the workplace. The worker will often run through a supervised rehabilitation program that encourages effective exercise and is modified as the worker becomes stronger. The physiotherapist, with their knowledge of the injured as opposed to healthy body, is indeed the only trained professional that can fully provide this service.

Falls are a devastating event for many seniors and their families. One of the negative repercussions of the first fall is that seniors lose all confidence in their balance and coordination. This decrease in confidence causes them to “play it safe” which in turn cause a further loss of balance and coordination, often leading to another fall. A physiotherapist can counteract the natural loss of balance that comes with aging through a program designed to practice this skill in a safe and controlled environment. A therapist will assess a patient’s initial level of coordination through several testing measures and prescribe exercises appropriate to each patient. The therapist will then modify these exercises as the patient improves to maximize the benefits of the program.

As our senior population advances, the main concern is to keep them active. If they reduce their level of mobility even for a short period it can be difficult for them to regain their former level of independence and health. Their mental and physical well being is dependent upon a level of cardiovascular activity that energizes their being and maintains tone. If they become deconditioned they are susceptible to falls and fractures. It is becoming widely understood that balance and conditioning is crucial in maintaining quality of life for our seniors.

The symptoms of BPPV include dizziness or vertigo, light-headedness, imbalance, and nausea. Activities that bring on symptoms will vary among persons, but they are almost always precipitated by a change of position of the head. Rolling over or getting out of bed are common problem motions. Because people with BPPV often feel dizzy and unsteady when they tip their heads back to look up, BPPV is sometimes called “top shelf vertigo.”

Physiotherapy has proven to be effective in the treatment of BPPV. A therapist will run through some physical maneuvers in office, and can prescribe some at-home exercises to combat the recurring symptoms.