Pivotal Physiotherapy

We want to give a huge shout out to our incredible partner @qfilmzmedia for their help in content creation, marketing expertise and video production.

How much physical activity should pregnant women aim for? Read Lynsey's latest blog post to learn the answer! Research supports the benefits of regular exercise and its safety in women with normal uncomplicated pregnancies. Physical activity should be considered a front-line therapy for reducing the risk of pregnancy complications and enhancing maternal physical and mental health. https://pivotalphysio.com/prenatal-exercise-benefits-and-g/

A HUGE congratulations goes out to Raj Dhillon for winning this year's choice for YEG Fitness Best Physio Award! We are so proud of you! Thank you for your commitment to being a great mentor to students and new grad physios. Thank you for your passion that you put into your work and the industry as a whole. We're happy that the YEG Fitness community recognizes your skill, talent, and compassion. We are so grateful to work alongside you!

We are so proud to announce that ARC/PIVOTAL is this year's choice for YEG Fitness Best Physio Clinic award! Thank you YEG Fitness and the esteemed panel for choosing us. Thank you Edmonton community for nominating the leaders in the industry, leaders in health/wellness, and leaders in fitness. We're honoured to be among a group of distinguished business owners and practitioners in Edmonton.

Jessica Segberg is a Massage Therapist at our Fort Saskatchewan clinic. In the past year, she has found that mask wearing exacerbated symptoms of TMJD for many of her patients. Click the link to check out her blog where she shares the steps you can take to reduce jaw pain while wearing a mask. https://pivotalphysio.com/how-to-reduce-jaw-pain-while-mas/

https://pivotalphysio.com/how-stress-can-change-your-exper/ Courteney is one of our Physiotherapists at Pivotal Northgate! She loves working with patients of all ages and injuries variety in patients keeps her on her toes! With each patient, she takes the time to understand how their injury is impacting their life and aim to give them the tools to guide their own recovery.... Check our her latest blog on how stress can affect your experience of pain. See more

https://pivotalphysio.com/how-stress-can-change-your-exper/ 2020 was a trying time for most and the majority of people have endured countless stressors. Stress and pain are intricately woven together. To understand how one can affect the other (and what you can do about it) you must first understand how pain is experienced in the body.... In this week's blog drop, Courteney explains pain science and provides 3 steps you can take to learn to manage the effects of stress to help manage your pain. See more

That’s a wrap on @jeske_golflife and @liftthecityyeg squat challenge! Thank you everyone on the Pivotal team for getting their squats in! We reached over 64,000 squats over the past month. Great work! That was a fun and sore month Make sure you keep on moving whether it’s squats, running or walking outside

Robyn is one of our Physiotherapists at our High Performance Centre. She is also a certified Fascial Stretch Therapist. Her passion for physiotherapy stems from her strong belief that exercise and movement are the best medicine for the body, mind and soul. Whether you are coming to see her due to a specific injury, or your aim is to improve your mobility, health and fitness, she is here to find new ways to guide, motivate and inspire you to become the best version of you...rself. Check out her her latest article the blog! https://pivotalphysio.com/3-ways-to-improve-your-post-run-/

New on the bloghttps://pivotalphysio.com/3-ways-to-improve-your-post-run-/ Sticking to our running theme, Robyn shares 3 things you should establish to improve your post-run routine. "Runners are notorious for not taking the time to stretch, roll and recover after a run. There are many reasons why this is the case. Runners, and most athletic people, live for the grind. They crave the work, the sweat, the endorphins, and thus they prioritize their time with those goals in mind."

We are thankful to open up our schedule to our patients who benefit from clinical Massage Therapy. Our Massage Therapy services will resume January 4th, 2021!

Meet Jessi Fersch, a kinesiologist from our Northgate Clinic! "Hey, I’m Jess! I’ve been fortunate enough to call Pivotal my home since August of 2019, where I love to work with a variety of patients on their exercise programs, get to know them, and especially make them laugh! Growing up I’ve always been drawn to athletics. I competed in track & field and rugby at the University of Lethbridge and it wasn’t until I had my first serious injury that I got to experience the physio...therapy world. I instantly knew it was the place for me. I love the ability to see progression; watching patients get back to what they want to do, from reduction of pain, to competing again. It’s extremely important to me to make our clinic a comfortable space for our patients. Since my injuries, I keep active by mountain biking and kayaking in the summer, skating on our backyard rink in the winter, and training with the Fort Saskatchewan Junior B Hawks. I look forward to seeing you at Northgate, don’t ever be shy and bring your best jokes with you!" Say Hi to Jessi Everyone!

CONTEST ALERT! We are giving away a FREE ATHLETIC SESSION as part of the #yegsquatschallenge. Ways to enter: ... 1. follow @pivotalphysio 2. sign up for the squat challenge (link in bio) 3. nominate your friends to join below (each comment = one entry) For 5 bonus entries, share this story, your own squat story or squat post and tag us @pivotalphysio. Let's get each other motivated and come together this holiday season! We need 1700 people doing an average of 100 squats a day to reach 5 million squats. So tell your friends, babies and dogs to start squatting! Contest ends next Sunday, December 27th 11:59pm MT. Winner will be announced on December 28th. Good luck! #pivotalsquats #yegsquatchallenge #edmonton #yeggers #yegdt #yeglocal #yegfitness #fitness #yegcontest #fitfam #fitspo #athleticsession #contest #bodybuilding #gymlife #training #instafit #glutes #legday #fitspiration #healthy #gains #fitlife #inspiration #muscle #fitnessaddict #fitnessmotivation #strength #strong

Meet Kim Gibas, our Physiotherapist at Pivotal's High Performance Centre: "I believe movement is so closely linked with positive mental health & overall wellness. A body that CAN DO things creates a happier & healthier individual. After working within the fitness industry for the past 15 years in various roles, and combining that with a decade of experience as a Physiotherapist, I can say that I have found a true passion for inspiring people to move. ... Whether that's in a group fitness class or a basement gym, competing in a sport or playing with your kids, the simple day to day tasks or work demands, I enjoy helping develop a body’s potential. From personal experience, I understand that injury and pain can be a source of stress and a heavy burden to bear. Even more so in the middle of a pandemic. Let me work with you to rehabilitate an injury, or simply help you move & feel better." Say hi to Kim everyone! #bodymovement #mentalhealth #pivotalmoments #fitnessindustry #rehab #winterphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #hpc #pt #physiotherapist #hpcclinic #meetthestaff #teammember #physiotherapy #basementgym #physicaltherapy #stafffeature #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #cycling #movementculture #patients #groupfitness #moblility #cardio

Meet Byron Turba! Our Physiotherapist from High Performance Centre. "My path into Physiotherapy all started from a passion for athletics and training. Some of my favourite areas to treat include sport or training related injuries, injury prevention, and performance-based Physiotherapy. That’s right, Physiotherapy can help with far more than just recovering from an injury! It can also be used as a great tool to identify weaknesses in the way you move that may be affect...ing your performance or putting you at a higher risk for injury. The sport that I enjoy working with the most is hockey. It’s a sport that I fell in love with at a young age like many Canadians and continue to play to this day (when COVID allows it of course). The unique demands of the sport create a challenging training and rehab approach and being a goalie myself, I have a special appreciation of what that entails. One of the areas that I often see overlooked in training for not just hockey players, but for athletes, in general, is a muscle group called our hip adductors. When you hear someone say I pulled my groin these are the muscles that they are referring to. It’s an injury that is quite common in hockey and especially in goaltenders, and if you’ve ever injured this area you will know just how debilitating it can be when trying to return to sport. You can catch my video this week on Pivotal’s instagram page where I will be showcasing three of my favourite adductor exercises that can be used to help prevent or recover from a groin strain, Say hi to Byron everyone! #grointreatment #yegphysio #groininjury #dtphysio #groininjurytreatment #hpcphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #highperformance #pt #physiotherapist #brewerydistrictclinic #groin #groininjurytips #meetthestaff #highperformancecentre #physicaltherapy #yegphysio #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #thegrind #movementculture #patients #orthopedic #moblility #musculoskeletalinjury

Meet Meghan! Meghan is a physiotherapist at our Northgate clinic! "I graduated from the University of Alberta with a bachelor’s degree in Biological and Physical Sciences. After my undergraduate degree, I completed my Masters in Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta in 2011. Since becoming a physiotherapist, I have continued to learn new skills and treatment techniques to further my training; I am certified in dry needling and medical acupuncture, as well as the Gr...aston Technique. Most recently, I have completed my training for certification in spinal manipulations. My treatment style is largely focused on therapeutic exercise and manual therapy. I also believe that education plays a key role in the prevention and management of any ailment. I enjoy working with clients of all activity levels and ages in helping them to reduce pain and regain mobility, strength and function. I pay attention to my client’s lifestyles, goals and health needs, and I work closely with them to develop an individualized treatment plan. Outside of work, I love spending time outdoors with my family. I enjoy running, tennis, yoga, and snowboarding. As a family, we love to spend time in the mountains and I am looking forward to introducing our new son to hiking and camping!" Stop by our Northgate Clinic and say hi to Meghan! #pivotalphysiotherapy #yegphysio #pivotalmoments #northgatephysiotherapy #rehab #winterphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #northgate #pt #physiotherapist #ngclinic #meetthestaff #teammember #physiotherapy #injuryprevention #physicaltherapy #stafffeature #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #thegrind #movementculture #patients #orthopedic #moblility #musculoskeletalinjury

"After working within the fitness industry for the past 15 years in various roles, and combining that with a decade of experience as a physiotherapist, I can say that I have found a true passion for inspiring people to move. Whether that's in a group fitness class or a basement gym, competing in a sport or playing with your kids, the simple day to day tasks or work demands, I enjoy helping develop a body’s potential. I believe movement is so closely linked with positive men...tal health & overall wellness. A body that CAN do things creates a happier & healthier individual. From personal experience, I understand that Injury & pain can be a source of stress and a heavy burden to bear. Even more so in the middle of a pandemic. I encourage you to schedule an appointment with me on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays and let me work with you to rehabilitate an injury, or simply help you move & feel better." - Kim Gibas is a physiotherapist at Pivotal Physiotherapy. She provides treatment at Pivotal High Performance Centre located in the downtown Brewery District. See more

Following the restrictions announced by the Government of Alberta last night, Pivotal remains open for in person physiotherapy appointments. However, our massage therapy service is suspended. Telerehab virtual treatment is available for those who feel more comfortable staying home. We are continuing to follow the guidelines provided by AHS and PACA in order to maintain a safe environment for patients, staff, and our community. If you have any questions, please contact us. Thank you for your continued support!

TWISTED ANKLE? Kids are playful and full of energy and injuries are inevitable! It is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in people of all ages, athletes and couch potatoes alike. ... When one or more of the ligaments in the ankle are stretched or torn, it can cause pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. This calls for functional treatment, a strategy that usually involves three phases: the RICE regimen (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) in the first 24 hours to reduce swelling, pain, and risk of further injury; within 4872 hours, range-of-motion and strengthening exercises can be started; and training to improve endurance and balance once recovery is well underway. During Phase 2 and 3, physiotherapy plays an important role. Ankle rehabilitation should be started ASAP. Ask us for more information! #treatingkids #yegphysio #physioforkids #fortsaskphysio #kidsphysiotherapy #fsphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #ptfortsask #pt #physiotherapist #fortsaskclinic #twistedankle #twistedankleinjury #ankleinjury #ankleinjurytips #physicaltherapy #fortsask #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #thegrind #movementculture #patients #orthopedic #moblility #musculoskeletalinjury

WE ARE HONOURED! Pivotal Physiotherapy has been nominated in two award categories in this year's Best of YEG Fitness Awards: Best Physiotherapy Clinic and Best Physiotherapist (Raj Dhillon). Thank you YEG Fitness and thank you Edmonton for your support!

Meet Robyn! Robyn Losch is a physiotherapist at Pivotal Physiotherapy. She provides treatment at Pivotal’s clinic located inside Northgate Centre. "Hello, my name is Robyn and I am a Physiotherapist at Pivotal Northgate. I was raised in Kelowna, B.C. and moved to Edmonton to complete my BSc at the University of Alberta. During my undergraduate degree, I also completed research involving Leukemia/Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cellular changes. Since I have always enjoyed being active ...and working with people, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that is focused on working with people rather than being in a lab. Further, I grew up with an athletic background competing at a national level in highland dance as well as playing competitive soccer and volleyball. Because of my background, I had my share of personal experience with how detrimental an injury can be to high level sport. Ultimately, I found myself drawn to physiotherapy because of the direct impact I could have on the lives of others, which is what lead me to completing my Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta. I love working with patients of all ages and activity levels. I believe that each patient has a unique story and I aim to tailor each treatment plan to best suit each person based on their goals. Using a combination of patient education, hands on techniques, functional dry needling and independent home exercise programs, I hope that my patients leave the clinic with a better understanding of their symptoms and how to manage them. As a fun challenge, I also like to create goals with my patients to help improve their quality of life whether it’s to easily complete various activities around the home, go for jogs in the river valley, or compete in high level sport!" Stop by our Northgate Clinic and say hi to Robyn! #pivotalphysiotherapy #yegphysio #pivotalmoments #northgatephysiotherapy #rehab #winterphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #northgate #pt #physiotherapist #ngclinic #meetthestaff #teammember #physiotherapy #injuryprevention #physicaltherapy #stafffeature #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #thegrind #movementculture #patients #orthopedic #moblility #musculoskeletalinjury

Want to strengthen your upper back and your arms? Byron from our High-Performance Centre in Brewery District, demonstrates the single arm bent over row The single arm bent over row is a great compound exercise used to strengthen the muscles of the upper back, shoulder blade, arm, and core. To perform this exercise or a variation of it you will need a dumbbell, kettlebell, or resistance band. ... When setting up to perform this exercise you want to make sure that you are engaging the "core" or the abdominal muscles and muscles of the lower back to keep the lower back in a flat position to avoid any excessive rounding or arching of the low back. Next, you will start with the arm fully extended in front of you just below shoulder height allowing your shoulder blade to wrap around your rib cage. From there perform a rowing motion pulling the weight or resistance band to just above hip level while at the same time pulling the shoulder blade back toward the spine. You can hold for a second really focusing on engaging the muscles between the shoulder blade and the spine before lowering the weight back to the start position in a slow and controlled motion making sure that the shoulder blade moves slowly and controlled around the rib cage. To focus more on your Latissimus Dorsi muscle or "Lats" keep the elbow in tight to the body, to focus more on the shoulder blade muscles like the rhomboids and middle fiber trapezius maintain a fist-width of room between the ribcage and the elbow. This exercise is great for treating a lot of different conditions or dysfunctions of the upper back and shoulder, as well as improving shoulder control and stability. I especially like this exercise for individuals who are experiencing anterior (front) shoulder pain. For many who might not have the greatest posture or who sit a lot throughout the day working on a computer these shoulder blade muscles often become lengthened, weak, and inhibited over time, and this exercise can help to alleviate shoulder pain caused by these everyday postures. #pivotalphysiotherapy #yegphysio #pivotalmoments #hpcphysio #rehab #fallseasonphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #ptng #pt #physiotherapist #downtownclinic #hpc #teammember #physiotherapy #injuryprevention #physicaltherapy #pt #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #thegrind #movementculture #patients #orthopedic #moblility #musculoskeletalinjury

Meet Gabrielle! Gabrielle is a physiotherapist that works at our High-Performance Centre "Hi, my name is Gabrielle! However, you will often hear me go by Abbey. I graduated from Brock University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and then went on to complete my Master of Science in Physical Therapy at Queen’s University. I always knew I wanted to work in the health care field and growing up as a competitive athlete made me appreciate the importance of moveme...nt in all aspects of healing. I have worked primarily in private practice treating a wide range of populations in the community ranging from geriatric orthopedic conditions to elite level sports injuries. My certifications include acupuncture, vestibular dysfunction including vertigo, dizziness and motion sensitivity, and concussion rehabilitation. Most recently, I have developed a strong passion for concussion rehabilitation in sport. I work with my concussion clients to remove them from rest and gradually work towards symptom-free activity by providing effective strategies and knowledge to achieve functional independence. My favorite hobbies include running, snowboarding, hiking, cycling, swimming, figure skating, and strength training. At different times of my life, I was a competitive swimmer, triathlete, and competitive figure skater who competed at the national level in synchronized skating. Most recently, I have retired from my competitive athletic career and enjoy participating in these activities for fitness and enjoyment. You can find me running along the river valley and cycling along the back roads on the weekends. My long-term goal is to complete an Ironman triathlon!" Stop by HPC and say hi to Gabrielle! #pivotalphysiotherapy #yegphysio #pivotalmoments #hpc #rehab #hpcphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #highperformance #pt #physiotherapist #northgate #meetthestaff #teammember #physiotherapy #injuryprevention #physicaltherapy #stafffeature #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #thegrind #movementculture #patients #orthopedic #moblility #musculoskeletalinjury

Dynamic stretching is known to be beneficial either when you engage in running activities or work a desk job that requires sitting for long periods of time. When you run, you constantly use your hip flexors to lift your legs up with each stride. This repeated motion shortens the muscle. The same thing when you’re sitting at a desk all day, your hips are in a flexed position, which shortens the hip flexors and lengthens the glutes! Here, Danica Cheng, one of our physiothera...pists at our Fort Saskatchewan location is helping a patient with a dynamic stretch to help get those hips moving in all directions through their full range of motion! Is this something you think you might need help with? Talk to one of our physiotherapists today! #pivotalphysiotherapy #yegphysio #pivotalmoments #fortsaskphysio #rehab #fallseasonphysio #pivotalphysio #pttreatment #ptfortsask #pt #physiotherapist #fortsaskclinic #meetthestaff #teammember #physiotherapy #injuryprevention #physicaltherapy #stafffeature #exercise #pivotal #posture #rehabilitation #fitness #recovery #thegrind #movementculture #patients #orthopedic #moblility #musculoskeletalinjury