Exercise therapy means using exercise as the treatment itself. Not as a list of stretches you are handed at the end of an appointment, but as the main thing that changes how your body copes with load, pain and the activities you care about.

At Forza Physiotherapy in downtown Vancouver, exercise therapy is delivered by a registered physiotherapist, one on one, on a full gym floor inside Evolve Strength.

How exercise therapy works

Tissues adapt to what you ask of them. Tendons, muscles and joints that are loaded sensibly and progressively become more capable. Tissues that are rested for too long, or loaded in ways they are not ready for, tend to stay irritable.

Exercise therapy finds the right level of load for where you are today, then increases it in steps. The skill is in the dose: enough to drive change, not so much that it flares things up. That is why supervision and measurement matter.

Exercise therapy and physiotherapy: what is the difference?

Exercise therapy is a method. Physiotherapy is the profession. A physiotherapist assesses and diagnoses the problem first, then chooses the treatment, and for most injuries and persistent pain, progressive exercise is a large part of it. Hands-on treatment can still help, especially early on when something is too sore to load, but it works best as a bridge into exercise rather than a replacement for it.

At Forza, exercise therapy is part of what we call active rehabilitation: treatment you do, rather than treatment done to you.

Who it helps

• People with pain that keeps coming back after rest or passive treatment.

• Anyone recovering from a sprain, strain or tendon problem.

• People after surgery who need to rebuild strength and confidence, once their surgeon's protocol allows.

• Active adults and athletes who want to get back to a specific sport or training.

• People who want to lift, run or play with their kids without thinking about an old injury.

What a session looks like

Your first visit is a 45 or 60 minute assessment. Your physiotherapist takes a history, screens how you move, and runs objective testing. Forza uses force plates, dynamometers and VALD testing, so your starting point is measured rather than estimated.

Sessions after that happen on the gym floor. You work through exercises chosen for your problem, and your physiotherapist adjusts the load as they watch you. Where heavy loading is not possible yet, Blood Flow Restriction training can build strength with lighter weights.

Between sessions

Most of the change happens between appointments. You leave with homework and a plan you understand, and your physiotherapist refines it as you progress, so you always know what to work on next. Retesting shows whether the plan is working.

Book your assessment with a registered physiotherapist, or call the clinic on 604-359-2919. No doctor's referral needed.

How long does it take?

It depends on the problem, how long you have had it, and what you are trying to get back to. Rather than guess at a number of weeks, Forza retests and shows you the results, so you can see how you are tracking and when you are ready for the next stage.

Booking and paying

No doctor's referral is needed to see a physiotherapist in British Columbia. Forza direct bills the major extended health plans. Forza does not bill ICBC or WorkSafeBC directly at this time, but you can still book as a private patient.

Call the clinic on 604-359-2919 or email contact@forzaphysiotherapy.com. Or read about physiotherapy at Forza.