Our story
Our methods
HANDS ON APPROACH/THE BOBATH CONCEPT
We treat clients on a 1:1 basis. The clinicians will use a hands-on approach to assessment and treatment. The goal is to influence your central nervous system to give you a feeling or a movement that you are unable to find or create on your own. This approach is based on problem solving an individual’s unique health care needs based on extensive knowledge of the central and peripheral nervous systems, the musculoskeletal system, the vestibular system, health conditions, and healing processes. Sometimes it will be appropriate for us to use more than our hands.
EDUCATION FIRST
Education around your specific health issue has been proven to assist with recovery. Your therapist will provide you with information about your condition, your recovery, and what to expect in ways that you can understand. This will help to put you at ease and give you a path to follow so you can focus on what is most important for your recovery.
PERSONALIZED HOME/REHABILITATION ASSISTANT/KINESIOLOGY PROGRAMS
Your therapist will help to create a unique program for home/community settings so you can create opportunities to build on and continue the therapeutic movements, postures and activities from your in-clinic sessions. We also offer in-clinic, community, and home sessions with our rehabilitation assistants and kinesiologists to help you work on any movements or exercises with which you require any assistance or guidance. Please see below to learn more.
Our equipment
BODY WEIGHT SUPPORTED
TREADMILL TRAINING
This is a system that allows the therapist to remove the potential for falls and take some of a patient’s weight making it easier for them to maintain upright stance. We use this system to improve walking patterns, walking speed, endurance, fitness, strength training, balance, and for those fearful of falling. There has been much research done using this type of training and it has been proven to be an invaluable tool for neurological rehabilitation.
ELECTRICAL MUSCLE
STIMULATION
This simple tool can help when a muscle is too weak to effectively move a body part. It uses gentle electrical impulses to turn the muscle on and build strength. It is also a powerful sensory tool that can clue the central nervous system in to connect to the muscle and body part. These are relatively inexpensive and we can help you to order one if it is appropriate and something that you would like to do.
INTRAMUSCULAR
STIMULATION (IMS)
Intramuscular stimulation, (IMS), is a needling technique designed to help release stiff and tonic muscles with the goals of improving movement, reducing pain and stiffness, and providing a reset by stimulating the muscle directly. The needles are much smaller than a traditional needle, which helps to reduce any potential discomfort. Your therapist will go over the pros and cons and help to determine if this approach would be right for you.
STANDING FRAME
The Easy Stand standing frame is a simple piece of equipment that allows for individuals that don’t have the capacity to stand, or could benefit from additional support, to experience being stable whilst being upright against gravity. We use the standing frame to build core control, length through the lower limb musculature, and also to free the upper limbs from the body. There are benefits to the cardio-vascular, musculo-skeletal, and vestibular systems.
Our functional trainer uses resistance provided by pulleys. It is wheel chair accessible and allows for us to use the load provided by the resistance to help to activate and strengthen muscles, work on balance, and look into possible community based programs using similar equipment.
ACCESSIBLE RESISTANCE
TRAINING
THE VISCUS
The Viscus is a brand new piece of equipment only available only in one other clinic in Canada. It is an arm/leg bike based on a flywheel system as in a spin bike. It was designed by a physiotherapist with extensive knowledge in bicycle mechanics. The momentum provided by the flywheel assists with the pedaling motion but it is by no means passive. Clinically we have found that the Viscus has helped with spasticity and tone reduction, improved circulation and strength training. The Viscus bikes are also available to purchase commercially through the clinic.
BRIAN HORSWILL - Owner
Brian graduated with his Master’s degree in Physiotherapy from UBC in 2008. Prior to that he graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz performance and was working both locally and internationally as a jazz musician. His drive to help and bring hope to those who have gone through traumatic Life events brought him to neurological physiotherapy and ultimately to owning the clinic. Brian is an advanced Bobath trained neurological physiotherapist and has completed post-graduate course work in vestibular rehabilitation, concussion rehabilitation, and persistent pain. Brian enjoys the problem solving nature of working in neurology and is continuously studying to expand his understanding of the inner workings of our bodies and subjective experiences to be able to help people regardless of their condition. He has also studied yoga, tai chi and Ayurveda. He is passionate about creating a clinical space where people can feel safe, welcome, understood, and appreciated. In his spare time Brian continues to perform music, maintain an active lifestyle, and enjoys time with his dog, Copernicus.
Copernicus is now retired from his clinical duties but does make the occasional appearance!