Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists are health care professionals with a significant role in health promotion and treatment of injury and disease. They combine their in-depth knowledge of the body and how it works with specialized hands-on clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability. All of our physiotherapists are registered to practice in Canada and are registered with the college of physiotherapists.
Our Physiotherapists work in a broad range of settings to provide patients with treatment as well as management, education, research and consultation services. A physiotherapist will assess you using detailed history-taking as well as specific physical tests and measures, such as flexibility or range of motion. The assessment findings will then be analyzed and used to establish clinical reasoning to conclude to a diagnosis. Together, you will explore your current abilities and functional needs so the physiotherapist can plan treatments that are consistent with your goals and general health status, and which incorporate approaches and techniques supported by the best evidence available.
Apart from Private Health Benefits, we gladly work with and bill for WSIB, MVA, Veteran Affairs, RCMP, and Canadian Arm Forces.
Although we value our expertise in manual therapy and best-in-class modalities like shockwave therapy, Physiotherapy can be primarily an exercise-based rehab. If you are wondering what to wear to your appointment, click this link here.
Some of the conditions treated in physiotherapy:
- Arthritis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Pain Syndrome
- Concussions
- Dizziness, Vertigo, Imbalance
- Frozen Shoulder
- Golfer’s Elbow
- Headaches
- Heel and Foot Pain
- Low Back Pain
- Motor Vehicle Accident
- Injuries
- Neck Pain
- Paediatric Conditions
- Post Surgical (Knee scope, ACL, Total Knee, Hip and Shoulder Replacements)
- Repetitive Strain
- Rotator Cuff Injury
- Running Injuries
- Sciatica
- Sports Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tendonitis, Tendinosis
- Tennis Elbow
- TMJ (Jaw) Dysfunction
- Torticollis
- Whiplash
Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT)
Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT) Body System was developed by David Weinstock in collaboration with his peers in 1985.
Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT) involves Specialized Assessments and Treatments that utilize Motor Control Principles to make significant changes in movement patterns. NKT is designed to remove compensations and dysfunctional patterns that get stored in the brain from injuries. Our Motor Control Center in the brain (Cerebellum) coordinates movements. When an injury occurs, the Motor Control Center adapts to a compensation pattern to allow for movement and holds this pattern until it is forced to change.
What happens when neurokinetic principles are used?
- New learning of proper movement patterns are created.
- Reduced pain with movements.
- Increased efficiency of muscle control to affected areas.
Our Therapists are trained in NKT and utilize these principles in their assessments and treatments.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is the manipulation of soft tissues including: muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments and joints. Massage Therapy is a clinically-oriented healthcare option that helps alleviate the discomfort associated with everyday and occupational stresses, muscular over-use and many chronic pain conditions.
Massage is generally considered as part of complementary and alternative medicine however is increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations. Studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.
Massage therapy treatments offered at Restorative Touch Physiotherapy include:
- Swedish Massage: This is a gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping to help relax and energize you.
- Deep Tissue Massage: This massage technique uses slower, more-forceful strokes to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue, commonly to help with muscle damage from injuries.
- Sports Massage: This is similar to Swedish massage, but it’s geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries.
- Trigger Point Massage: This massage focuses on areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse.
- Lymphatic Drainage Technique: A form of gentle massage that encourages the movement of lymph fluids around the body.
Athletic Therapy
What is Athletic Therapy?
Certified Athletic Therapists are best known for their quick-thinking on-field emergency care of professional and elite athletes. The first to respond when someone gets hurt, they are experts at injury assessment and rehabilitation. It’s that same mix of on-site care and active rehabilitation skills that makes Athletic Therapists so effective in treating the musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints) injuries of all Canadians, whether on the field or in the clinic.
Athletic therapists adhere to the Sports Medicine Model of care. They treat a wide range of patients, from kids with concussions to seniors recovering from hip replacement surgery, using various manual therapies, modalities, exercise prescription, and even bracing and taping. The treatment varies but the objective doesn’t: an Athletic Therapist’s goal is to help clients return to their usual activities, whether that means playing competitive sports or walking to the mailbox and back.
Why visit an Athletic Therapist?
Athletic therapists are specialists at the assessment and treatment of orthopaedic injuries. They can help facilitate an optimal return to create a safe and effective return to the things you love to do!
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy is a specialized branch of physiotherapy that focuses on the assessment and treatment of various conditions that relate to the pelvis, pelvic floor muscles, and their relationship to the entire body as a whole. Utilizing techniques such as manual therapy, education, exercises and lifestyle modification tailored specifically to each patient’s needs and pelvic dysfunction.
Pelvic Health Physiotherapy is available to all individuals and can help with the following conditions:
- Chronic low back, hip, and pelvic girdle pain
- Urinary and fecal incontinence
- Urinary urgency, frequency, hesitancy, or leakage
- Painful insertion (intercourse, tampons, etc.)
- Peri-natal population
- Erectile dysfunction
- & more!
Physiotherapists who have been trained to treat dysfunction of the pelvic region have completed a thorough and college-approved training program that allows for both external and internal examination of the pelvic region. Each assessment and treatment program is tailored to the comfort level of the individual and an internal examination is not required to proceed with effective pelvic health physiotherapy. Each assessment will include:
- A thorough subjective assessment to better understand you and your concerns and goals including past medical history, current symptoms, and surgical history.
- External assessment exploring movement patterns, muscle tension or tenderness, scar tissue mobility, and more.
- OPTIONAL: Internal assessment (vaginally and/or rectally) to assess pelvic floor muscle tenderness, tone, strength as well as to assess for the presence of prolapse.
Learn more about Pelvic Health Physiotherapy here.
Manual Osteopathic Therapy
Osteopathy is a gentle, hands-on approach that focuses on assessing and treating the body as a whole. Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, recovering from an injury, or simply want to improve your overall well-being, Osteopathic treatment can help restore balance and function in your body.
Osteopathy has a focus on you, the individual, and how you function. Treatment incorporates the complex interconnected systems housed within the human body including musculoskeletal, soft tissue, cranio-sacral, visceral, circulatory, lymphatic drainage, neurological and the nervous system.
Osteopathy aims to influence the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) to promote a shift from “fight to flight” state (Sympathetic Nervous System) to a more balanced “rest and digest” state (Parasympathetic Nervous System). This is achieved by addressing imbalances impacting the nervous system function by influencing the neural pathways.
It can benefit people of all ages! Some benefits but not limited to include:
- Relieves Pain and supports recovery
- Improves mobility, flexibility
- Promotes long-term wellness
- Postural alignment
- Stress reduction
- Nervous System regulation (by addressing musculoskeletal imbalances that may be affecting the nerve function
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that can help reduce pain, improve function, and support recovery from stubborn or long-standing muscle and tendon injuries. At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we offer shockwave therapy in Hamilton as part of a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation, often combining treatment with physiotherapy, athletic therapy, and a personalized exercise program.
Shockwave therapy uses targeted acoustic waves that are delivered directly to the affected area. These waves create a mechanical stimulus within the tissue that may help promote circulation, influence pain sensitivity, and support the body’s natural tissue-repair and remodelling processes.
For many people, the biggest benefit of shockwave therapy is that it can provide another treatment option when an injury has been lingering for weeks or months and has not responded as expected to rest, stretching, exercise, or other conservative treatments.
What Conditions Can Shockwave Therapy Help?
Shockwave therapy is commonly used for chronic tendon and soft-tissue conditions, including:
- Plantar fasciitis and plantar heel pain
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Patellar tendinopathy
- Tennis elbow and other elbow tendinopathies
- Rotator cuff and shoulder tendon pain
- Calcific shoulder tendinopathy
- Gluteal tendinopathy
- Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
- Other persistent tendon-related injuries
Not every painful condition is appropriate for shockwave therapy, which is why our practitioners will first assess your injury and determine whether it makes sense as part of your treatment plan.
How Does Shockwave Therapy Work?
Many persistent tendon injuries are not simply caused by “inflammation.” Instead, changes can occur within the tendon over time that affect how well it tolerates load.
Shockwave therapy provides a controlled mechanical stimulus to the affected tissue. Research suggests this may help influence local circulation, cellular activity, pain processing, and tissue remodelling.
The goal is not simply to make the area feel better for a few hours. Our focus is on improving your ability to move, exercise, work, play sports, and tolerate the activities that matter to you.
What Does Shockwave Therapy Feel Like?
During treatment, your practitioner will identify the affected area and apply the shockwave device directly to the skin. Most sessions are relatively short.
You may feel tapping, pressure, or mild-to-moderate discomfort while the treatment is being performed, particularly over sensitive areas. The intensity can be adjusted based on your comfort level and the condition being treated.
Most people tolerate shockwave therapy very well and are able to return to their normal day shortly after their appointment.
Shockwave Therapy Works Best as Part of a Complete Treatment Plan.
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we do not view shockwave therapy as a stand-alone “quick fix.” All shockwave session are accompanied by exercise, manual therapy, or both. A gold standard approach uses shockwave as a part of the treatment, not the whole treatment.
For many tendon injuries, one of the most important parts of recovery is gradually rebuilding the tissue’s ability to tolerate load. That is why we often combine shockwave physiotherapy with individualized strengthening, mobility exercises, activity modification, education, and a gradual return to work, sport, or exercise.
Shockwave therapy can be one tool that helps reduce symptoms and create an opportunity to progress your rehabilitation more effectively.
Our goal is not simply to treat the painful area — it is to understand why your symptoms are persisting and what needs to change to help you get back to doing what you enjoy.
If you have been dealing with plantar fasciitis, tendon pain, or another stubborn injury that does not seem to be improving, shockwave therapy may be worth considering.
Restorative Touch Physiotherapy provides shockwave therapy in Hamilton and on Hamilton Mountain, with treatment available through many of our highly skilled practitioners.
Whether your goal is getting back to running, returning to the gym, working comfortably, playing your sport, or simply walking without pain, our team can determine whether shockwave therapy is appropriate for you and build a treatment plan around your individual needs.
Ready to see if shockwave therapy is right for you?
Use our button below to book and view current shockwave therapy prices and availability of our expert practitioners. We look forward to educating you on how shockwave can fit in your treatment plan!
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a component of the health care system of China that can be traced back at least 2,500 years. The general theory of acupuncture is based on the premise that there are patterns of energy flow, through the body that are essential for health. Disruptions of this flow are believed to be responsible for disease. Acupuncture may, it has been theorized, correct imbalances of flow at identifiable points close to the skin.
Acupuncture is a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical locations on or in the skin by a variety of techniques. There are a variety of approaches to diagnosis and treatment in acupuncture that incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The most thoroughly studied mechanism of stimulation of acupuncture points employs penetration of the skin by thin, solid, metallic needles, which are manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation.
Are you wondering how Acupuncture fits in your treatment plan? Have a read here!
Compression Socks and Garments
Restorative Touch Physiotherapy provides professional fitting for Bauerfeind medical compression socks and garments on Hamilton Mountain. Compression may help people who spend extended periods sitting or standing, experience varicose veins or swelling, travel frequently, are pregnant, or manage a diagnosed venous or lymphatic condition.
How Do Compression Socks Work?
Medical compression socks apply graduated pressure to the legs. Pressure is greatest around the ankle and gradually decreases farther up the leg. This supports venous return and helps reduce blood and fluid pooling in the lower extremities.
When appropriately selected and fitted, compression garments may help:
- Reduce leg swelling
- Relieve tired, heavy or aching legs
- Manage symptoms associated with varicose veins
- Support chronic venous insufficiency
- Improve comfort during prolonged sitting or standing
- Reduce swelling during longer flights
- Manage pregnancy-related leg discomfort
- Maintain swelling reduction in lymphedema
Research supports compression therapy for managing edema and symptoms associated with chronic venous disease. Compression garments are also an important part of long-term lymphedema management and can reduce leg swelling during prolonged travel. We provide bauerfind compression garments options for our patient to give them industry gold standard compression wear.
Bauerfeind Compression Options
Bauerfeind combines medical-grade compression with breathable materials and precise sizing. Depending on your needs, options may include:
VenoTrain Micro
A soft, breathable microfiber compression stocking designed for everyday comfort. It may be appropriate for tired legs, mild to moderate swelling, varicose veins, work, travel and pregnancy-related symptoms.
VenoTrain Soft
A durable and comfortable medical compression stocking that offers additional support for venous insufficiency, moderate swelling, pronounced varicose veins and selected cases of mild to moderate lymphedema.
VenoTrain Business
Medical compression with the appearance of a traditional dress sock. This is a discreet option for professionals, frequent travellers and people who sit or stand for extended periods.
VenoTrain Curaflow
A custom-made, flat-knit garment designed for more complex swelling associated with lymphedema, lipedema or lipolymphedema. It is available for the legs, feet, arms and hands and should be selected as part of a professionally directed treatment plan.
Products are available in different compression levels, lengths, colours, open-toe or closed-toe designs, and ready-to-wear or custom-made options.
Why Professional Fitting Matters
A compression garment must fit properly to be effective. A garment that is too loose may provide inadequate compression, while one that is too tight or incorrectly sized may roll, wrinkle or create uncomfortable pressure points.
During your fitting, our team will:
- Discuss your symptoms and reason for using compression
- Screen for relevant precautions
- Take the required measurements
- Recommend an appropriate style and compression level
- Determine whether ready-to-wear or custom compression is suitable
- Show you how to put on, remove and care for your garment
Measurements are generally best taken earlier in the day, before significant swelling develops.
Is Compression Safe for Everyone?
Compression socks should not be used to self-treat new or unexplained swelling. Medical assessment may be required for people with arterial disease, uncontrolled heart failure, diabetes with reduced sensation, neuropathy, active infection, fragile skin or open wounds.
Seek prompt medical attention if swelling develops suddenly, affects one leg significantly more than the other, or occurs with redness, warmth, calf pain, chest pain or shortness of breath.
Insurance Coverage
Some extended health plans cover prescribed medical compression garments. Coverage requirements vary, and your insurer may require a physician’s prescription specifying the compression level.
We recommend contacting your insurer before purchasing to confirm:
- Whether compression garments are covered
- Whether a prescription is required
- Your annual coverage limit
- Whether custom garments are eligible
- How often replacement garments are covered
Book a Compression Garment Fitting in Hamilton
The correct garment should provide effective compression while remaining comfortable enough for regular use.
Contact Restorative Touch Physiotherapy to arrange a Bauerfeind compression fitting at our clinic near Upper Ottawa Street and Fennell Avenue on Hamilton Mountain.
A lot of our customers in the Hamilton area wonder: do compression socks actually work? learn more about whether compression socks are right for you! Click on this link to learn more.
Those who may benefit from compression stockings are those who may experience:
- Tired, aching feeling legs
- Leg swelling
- Varicose insufficience
- Post thrombotic syndrome
- Healed venous ulcer
- Active venous ulcer
- Lymphedem
NormaTec Compression Boots
Experience faster recovery and improved circulation with NormaTec® Compression Boots at Restorative Touch Physiotherapy. Using advanced dynamic air compression, these boots help reduce muscle soreness, decrease inflammation, and enhance lymphatic drainage—making them an ideal recovery tool for athletes, active individuals, or those experiencing leg fatigue.
We have the best compression therapy packages in Hamilton! Each session promotes faster healing and overall lower limb wellness in just 30 minutes.
We currently offer leg compression and hip compression sessions. We also accommodate larger legs with multiple boot sizes.
The normatec compression system is ideal for:
It would fit especially well for:
- Runners, soccer players and endurance athletes
- Patients with heavy or fatigued legs after activity or associated with Chronic swelling or Lymphedema
- Clients between tournaments or closely scheduled competitions
- General gym and strength-training clients
- People wanting a passive recovery or relaxation experience
If you are looking for long-term help in reducing swelling, lymphedema or leg fatigue and heaviness, view our page on compression socks and garments.
Pricing
- $30.00 plus tax for a single 30-minute session
- $20 per session when you purchase a package of 10 sessions (Total cost $200.00 plus tax)
Orthotics
Our custom orthotics are designed to optimize foot and ankle alignment based on your individual biomechanics and unique foot structure. At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we take a personalized approach to custom orthotic assessment to help improve comfort, support, and overall movement efficiency.
Our experienced team begins with a detailed foot and gait assessment using advanced force-plate technology. This allows us to evaluate how your feet function while standing and walking, including pressure distribution, gait patterns, and areas of imbalance. We use this information to determine the most appropriate orthotic design for your specific needs.
Once your assessment is complete, your measurements and biomechanical data are sent to our trusted orthotic partner, The Orthotic Group. Their specialists carefully manufacture your custom orthotics according to your individual specifications, ensuring a precise fit and personalized level of support.
Whether you are experiencing foot pain, heel pain, arch discomfort, or lower-limb alignment concerns, custom orthotics may help improve how your feet function during everyday activities, work, exercise, and sport.
What kind of shoes do I need for my custom orthotics?
A variety of different shoe types and styles can accommodate Custom Orthotics. They look like insoles, but are bio-mechanical medical appliances that are custom made to correct your specific foot imbalance. Custom orthotics work on your feet by reducing stress and strain on your body by bringing your feet into proper alignment. Custom orthotics fit into your shoes as comfortably as an insole and have the advantages of being precisely made using imprints of your feet and measurements of your natural stride.
Bracing
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we provide personalized bracing solutions designed to support your joints, reduce discomfort, and help you stay active. Our experienced team is trained to assess your needs and help you select and properly fit the right brace for your body, activity level, and rehabilitation goals.
We specialize in fitting both custom and off-the-shelf braces from trusted brands such as DonJoy and Bauerfeind. Because no two people move exactly the same way, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Our team considers your injury, joint stability, movement patterns, and lifestyle when recommending the most appropriate brace.
A properly fitted brace may help:
- Reduce pain and inflammation
- Provide additional joint support and stability
- Reduce stress and strain on muscles and joints
- Support recovery during physiotherapy and rehabilitation
- Improve confidence and stability during sports and physical activity
- Protect vulnerable joints during work, exercise, and everyday activities
Whether you need a knee brace, ankle brace, wrist support, or another type of orthopedic brace, our team can help you find a solution that fits comfortably and provides the support you need.
If a customized brace has been recommended for you, we would be happy to help. If you have any questions, click on the link below and send us a message. Are you dealing with joint pain? Knee osteoarthritis ? Patellar instability ? Learn more about if bracing is for you here.
Restorative Touch Affiliate Services
Russ Irwin — Psychologist & Trauma Specialist
Dr. Russ Irwin is an internationally known Psychologist and trauma specialist. Dr. Russ Irwin launched Irwin and Associates Coaching in 2013 due to the increasing growth and success of his personal coaching business. Irwin and Associates offers a wide range of specialized coaching services for executives and corporations.
His organization helps clients develop personal and professional goals by clearing roadblocks to their success by first helping them understand why they exist. Irwin and Associates are one of only a select few “Behavioral Assessment Certified Professionals” worldwide.
Dr. Russ Irwin offers services such as (a)Advanced Trauma Counselling, (b) Business High Performance Coaching, (c) Individualized Counselling, and (d) Advanced Behavioural Assessment Profile.
Conditions treated, but not limited to, are PTSD and complex trauma, health issues, developmental trauma, stress, anxiety and depression, insomnia, motivational, public speaking, professional performance, ADHD, low self-esteem, chronic pain, emotional/physical or sexual abuse, anger, and fear.
The focus is on TRANSFORMATION of your life, your business, and your potential. If you are interested in these programs, click the website link below.
Jessica Bacon (MSW, RSW) — Registered Social Worker
Jessica Bacon (MSW, RSW) is a Registered Social Worker in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She has more than 10 years’ experience providing community care, counselling, and psychotherapy with children, youth, adults, and families. Her private psychotherapy practice Mountain Brow Counselling specializes in perinatal mental health, grief and loss counselling, and parental support. She also has expertise in treating chronic pain using a mind-body approach. She implements a variety of effective, evidence-based methods to instill self-understanding and encourage clients to adopt new attitudes and feelings towards challenging life situations.
Jessica offers virtual services to anyone in Ontario with in-home visits available for the postpartum population in the Hamilton area. The most important element in counselling and therapy is to work with someone you trust and who makes you feel safe. Jessica is happy to offer you a complementary 15–20-minute telephone consultation to find out if working together is right for you.
In addition to being a social worker and psychotherapist, Jessica is also a mother of two young children. She understands what it means to struggle and ultimately thrive as a new parent. In her free time, she enjoys being active, gardening, and dreaming of her next beach vacation. While she loves time with her children, she believes in “radical self-care” which means taking time for ourselves so that we can better show up for others.
If you are interested in connecting with Jessica, please email her at jessica@mountainbrowcounselling.com.
Concussion management Therapy
A concussion can affect much more than your ability to play sports. Headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light or noise, balance problems, fatigue, neck pain, and changes in sleep can all interfere with school, work, exercise, and everyday life.
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we provide comprehensive concussion treatment in Hamilton to help you understand your symptoms, safely return to activity, and take the guesswork out of your recovery.
Our concussion rehabilitation is provided by practitioners with additional education and experience in concussion assessment and management, including Athletic Therapists with extensive concussion knowledge and Physiotherapists who have completed additional concussion management training.
Whether your concussion happened during sport, at work, in a motor vehicle accident, or during everyday activity, our goal is to identify the factors contributing to your symptoms and develop an individualized plan to help you move forward.
What Is a Concussion?
A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury that can occur following a direct impact to the head, face, or neck, or from a force elsewhere in the body that causes rapid movement of the brain within the skull.
You do not necessarily have to lose consciousness to have a concussion.
Symptoms can appear immediately after an injury, but they may also become more noticeable over the following hours or days. Because concussion symptoms can vary significantly from person to person, proper assessment and individualized management are important.
Common Symptoms of a Concussion
Concussions can present differently depending on the individual and the mechanism of injury. Common symptoms may include:
- Headaches or pressure in the head
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Balance difficulties
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Blurred or altered vision
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling mentally “foggy”
- Memory difficulties
- Fatigue or low energy
- Sleep disturbances
- Irritability or changes in mood
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Difficulty tolerating screens, reading, school, or work
- Symptoms with physical activity or exercise
Some people experience only a few symptoms, while others may notice difficulties across several areas.
Concussion Recovery Is About More Than Rest
One of the biggest changes in modern concussion management is our understanding of the role of activity during recovery.
While a brief period of relative rest may be appropriate immediately following a concussion, prolonged complete rest is generally not the goal. Instead, concussion rehabilitation often involves a gradual and carefully monitored return to physical activity, cognitive activity, work, school, and sport.
Your treatment should also address the specific systems that may be contributing to your symptoms.
This is why simply waiting for symptoms to disappear is not always the best approach.
What Does Concussion Treatment Involve?
There is no single exercise or treatment that works for every concussion.
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, your concussion rehabilitation program is based on your symptoms, assessment findings, daily demands, and goals. Our Physiotherapists and Athletic Therapists have many hours of post-secondary education from leading concussion educators like shift concussion training and complete concussion management.
Depending on your presentation, treatment may include:
Education & Symptom Management
Understanding what is happening and knowing how much activity is appropriate can make concussion recovery much less overwhelming.
Your practitioner can help you understand your symptoms, identify aggravating factors, and gradually increase your tolerance for everyday activities.
Gradual Return to Exercise
Exercise can play an important role in concussion rehabilitation when introduced appropriately.
Your practitioner may gradually introduce aerobic exercise and progressively increase its intensity based on your symptoms and recovery.
The goal is to rebuild your tolerance for physical activity without repeatedly overwhelming your system.
Vestibular Rehabilitation
The vestibular system plays an important role in balance and spatial awareness.
If your concussion has left you feeling dizzy, unsteady, or uncomfortable with certain movements, vestibular exercises may be incorporated into your rehabilitation program.
Vision & Eye-Movement Rehabilitation
Some people experience difficulty with tracking moving objects, focusing, reading, screens, or coordinating eye movements following a concussion.
Your assessment may identify these difficulties and determine whether specific exercises or additional referral are appropriate.
Neck Assessment & Treatment
A concussion and a neck injury can occur at the same time, and the symptoms can sometimes overlap.
Headaches, dizziness, stiffness, and discomfort following a concussion may have a cervical component. Your practitioner can assess your neck and incorporate appropriate treatment and exercise when indicated.
Balance & Coordination Training
Concussions can temporarily affect balance and coordination.
Your rehabilitation may include progressively challenging balance exercises, movement drills, and eventually more complex activities based on the demands of your daily life or sport.
Returning to Work or School After a Concussion
Concussion symptoms can make normal work and school activities surprisingly difficult.
Reading, computer work, bright environments, prolonged concentration, and busy workplaces or classrooms may temporarily aggravate symptoms.
Rather than approaching recovery as simply being “off” or “back,” we can help develop a gradual progression toward your normal responsibilities.
This may involve adjusting workload, screen exposure, breaks, physical demands, and the amount of time spent at work or school before gradually returning to your usual routine.
Returning to Sport After a Concussion
For athletes, feeling better does not automatically mean you are ready to return to competition.
A safe return-to-sport concussion program involves gradually progressing through increasingly demanding levels of physical and sport-specific activity while monitoring symptoms and recovery.
Depending on the athlete, rehabilitation may progress from light aerobic exercise to higher-intensity exercise, strength training, agility, change of direction, sport-specific drills, and eventually unrestricted participation when appropriate.
Our Athletic Therapists and Physiotherapists can help guide this progression so athletes are not simply guessing when they are ready to return.
Concussion Care for Youth Athletes
Concussions are particularly important to manage appropriately in children and adolescents.
Young athletes need to balance recovery with school, physical activity, and their eventual return to sport. Communication between the athlete, parents, healthcare providers, school, coaches, and sports organizations can be an important part of this process.
At Restorative Touch Physiotherapy, we can help young athletes and their families better understand the recovery process and create a structured plan for returning to school, exercise, practice, and competition.
When Should You Seek Emergency Medical Attention?
Most concussions can be managed outside of the emergency department, but certain symptoms following a head injury require urgent medical assessment.
Seek immediate medical attention if you or someone you are with develops concerning symptoms such as a worsening severe headache, repeated vomiting, seizure, increasing confusion or agitation, unusual behaviour, significant weakness or numbness, slurred speech, increasing drowsiness or difficulty waking, loss of consciousness, or a significant deterioration in their condition.
When in doubt after a significant head injury, seeking medical assessment is the safest choice.
Concussion Physiotherapy on Hamilton Mountain
If concussion symptoms are keeping you from school, work, exercise, sports, or simply feeling like yourself, you do not have to navigate your recovery alone.
Restorative Touch Physiotherapy provides concussion treatment and concussion rehabilitation in Hamilton and on Hamilton Mountain through our team of Physiotherapists and Athletic Therapists.
Our approach looks beyond the diagnosis itself. We assess the physical and functional factors that may be contributing to your symptoms and build your rehabilitation around what you need to get back to.
Whether that means returning to the classroom, getting through a full workday, exercising again, or stepping back onto the field, court, or ice, we can help guide the process.
Book a Concussion Assessment in Hamilton
If you have recently experienced a concussion or are still dealing with persistent concussion symptoms, our team can help determine the appropriate next steps. Book a concussion assessment at Restorative Touch Physiotherapy on Hamilton Mountain and let us help you build a clear, progressive plan toward recovery.
Use our online booking system to view current appointment availability and find a practitioner who offers concussion assessment and rehabilitation. Click the button below to book your assessment!