But so much of our family’s stress was alleviated with our first visit to Kids Physio.  I was so relieved when we walked through the door, and immediately felt welcomed into this visually stimulating, kid oriented, fun, organized and delightful environment.   Oliver, right away, felt excited to get moving!  His physiotherapist, Laura was clearly gifted with child communication skills, and engaged him in such a way, where he was getting a work out, (body and mind!) and having a wonderful time, all the while she watched his every move and did a complete physical assessment. Right off the bat, Laura understood Oliver better than any other professional we had seen in the years leading up to his diagnosis.  She was open, honest and direct with me about what his disease was doing to his little muscles and what she thought she could do to help.  It sounds so simple, but as a mother, the idea of someone actually being able to do something to help him was such a tremendous gift during a time where our whole family had felt so helpless.

Since our first visit, the plan has been carried out by continuous support from the front desk staff; to help find funding and to accommodate our hectic schedules for his weekly visits (Thank you Jacquie!). Each visit is so fun for Oliver and with something new each week we all look forward to coming!  Between my husband, my sister and my mother, we almost argue for who gets to bring him to his next appointment. It truly gives us all so much joy to see him having such a great time, but also for the hope it gives to us for stronger days ahead!

~Jennifer (Oliver’s mom)

So many of our family’s do such amazing things outside the doors of Kids Physio Group and Lori Hall is one of those people! Lori is fundraising for a charity that is very close to her heart. Her daughter Annika has a condition commonly referred to as Dup15q. It is a very rare chromosomal disorder with only 33 registered cases in Canada, less than 700 worldwide and 7 here in BC. As a result, there are unfortunately few resources that families can seek out for help. As a result,  Lori wishes to help send the BC families living with Dup15q to an international conference in Minnesota in 2013 in order to get more information and knowledge surrounding this condition at affects their loved ones.

Lori states that “.. living with a rare disease means there are few experts,  few studies,  few resources and very few peers that understand.  This is one of the only opportunities for our families to connect to the the experts,  information and friends that understand”.

To help raise money, Lori is selling Tocara Jewelry online at (https://www.tocaraplus.com/lori). You can also host a jewelry show, or make direct donations.

To learn more about Tocara go to: https://www.tocaraplus.com/lori

Or visit Lori’s facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tocara-West/274150972633066

Email Lori directly if you have any additional questions tocara@shaw.ca

To learn more about Dup15q go to: http://www.idic15.org/

Learning to ride a bike is a fantastic goal – but a goal which includes many individual skills that must be coordinated together.  One necessary skill is the motor plan of pedalling.  In order to ride a bike, your brain must tell your legs, feet and tummy muscles how and when to move; specifically, how to follow a reciprocal pattern to push the bike forward.

This was a tricky skill for Edison, however motor planning can be improved for specific tasks through practice and repetition. Kids Physio suggested practicing the reciprocal pattern on a stationary bike and rigged up a solution here in clinic. Edison’s family took the idea to the next level to create a homemade bicycle stand. They currently keep it in their family room beside mom’s stationary bike. Now they are able to practice together and keep active!

Kids Physio encourages all families to stay active and healthy. Continue your hard work inside and outside of physio – keep moving everybody!

Click to view video

Billie Murphy is BACK for another block of yoga dance classes! Groove, stretch, pose and boogie along with her.

Fridays – beginnings January 20th

3-5yrs | 2:30pm

6yrs+ | 4:00pm

10 weeks $120 or $15 drop in (+HST)

Click here to download the PDF

Click here to Download a PDF version of our Winter Newsletter 2012

The inner core not only provides our spine and body with stability, but it can also help us with many different daily functions. Did you know that strengthening your inner core can help to:

-improve gross motor skills
- improve posture
- improve fine motor skills
- improve sensory integration disorders
- improve constipation

You may have heard your physiotherapist or a random person in the gym talking about your “inner core” muscles recently. These inner core muscles, however are not the pretty stomach muscles we all yearn to have while putting on our bathing suits on summer vacations. The inner core is a group of four muscles that lie underneath those pretty stomach muscles we may or may not have. In fact, these four muscles (listed below), are responsible for providing central stability to our body.

1. respiratory diaphragm
2. pelvic floor
3. transversus abdominis
4. mulitifidus

These muscles turn on before any movements made by our body in order to provide postural stability during movement – i.e. they keep us from falling over when we throw a ball, get out of a chair or recover our balance after being bumped. This inner core activation is dependent on alignment (i.e. our posture). This means that if our alignment/posture is off, then our core is not functioning properly and is not able to optimally stabilize our body. (Apparently all those years of your mother telling you not to slouch had a point!)

By not only strengthening these anticipatory inner core muscles, but the outer core muscles that help to react to movement, children and adults can have a stable base from which to move.

Ask your physiotherapist for more details on how core strengthening can benefit your child! – or you!

To learn more about the inner core and its role in stability please read Shelley Mannell’s blog on “Dynamic core for Kids” at http://www.heartspacept.com/ as well as Julie’s blog “Dynamic core in Kids – Case Study 12 year old male” www.interiorfitness.com).

After hearing about our Creative Movement & Yoga Classes for kids on Friday afternoons, Lululemon generously donated 15 brand new yoga mats!!

We are so excited for each child to have their own space to stretch, pose & boogie! The mats will be energetically used by children ages 3 and up, of all abilities. For some children, this is their first time having the opportunity to be in a dance class with peers.

Having their own, new yoga mat makes this event even more special and we just can’t thank Lululemon enough! (but the smiles on kids faces is a good start!)

Thank you Lululemon!!

Check out Lululemon Athletica’s website for great ways to compliment your workout activities.

Click on the image below…

The Kids Physio Group team