How Do I Make An Appointment At Neuromotion Physiotherapy?

Please call our clinic. We try to answer all calls however, if we are busy with clients you may be put through to our answering machine. If that is the case, please leave a detailed message with your name, phone number, reason for seeking treatment and we will respond as soon as possible. 

Vancouver 604-732-8500

Victoria 250-590-7878

Surrey 778-293-3322 

Booking and appointment via email is also possible, if you prefer.

Simply email the clinic at:

For the Vancouver clinic: vancouver@neuromotion.ca

For the Victoria clinic: victoria@neuromotion.ca

For the Surrey clinic: surrey@neuromotion.ca 

In your email please include your name, phone number, reason for seeking treatment and we will phone or email you back soon as possible.

We are also doing online booking.  See the "Schedule An Appointment" button for more details.

What kind of clients do you see / Is this clinic appropriate for me?

At Neuromotion we predominantly treat individuals with neurological conditions, including but not limited to:

  • Stroke
  • Brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Developmental Disorders
  • Dizziness/Vestibular dysfunction
  • Concussions
  • Facial palsy
  • Pelvic floor conditions

 

All our locations are able to accommodate clients with orthopedic related complaints.

What are the clinic hours?

The Vancouver clinic is open Monday to Friday 8am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-5pm

The Victoria clinic is open Monday to Friday 8am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm

The Surrey clinic is open Monday to Saturday 8am – 5pm

 

All clinics are closed for Federal and Provincial holidays.

What is the clinic's cancellation policy?

You may cancel any session with at least 24 hours’ notice. A session cancelled after the deadline is charged 50% of the full rate. To cancel, call or email the clinic during office hours.

Cancellation policy details:

Please note that cancellations must be made prior to 24 hours before the session regardless of whether you phone or send an email. For voicemails and emails, we will use the time that the email or phone call was placed. For sessions scheduled on Mondays, or days after Statutory Holidays, phone/email cancellations must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

Do you have a waitlist?

At Neuromotion we try our very best to accommodate everyone as quickly as we can, if we do have a wait list we are committed to accepting people on the waitlist as soon as possible.

What should I expect at my first appointment?

Your first appointment is primarily focused on assessing your functional abilities to determine where your strengths and deficits lie, and to discuss your goals for physiotherapy. Our goal is to begin treatment in the initial visit however, depending on the complexity of the assessment, treatment may be limited.

Subsequent appointments are focused on treatment in various capacities. Furthermore at Neuromotion we are continuously assessing while treating, to optimize your treatment time and progressions with rehabilitation.

We ask that you arrive 10 minutes prior to your initial appointment in order to be able to fill out the appropriate forms

How much does a session at the clinic cost?

Please contact one of our clinics for a fee schedule:

How long are the Physiotherapy sessions?

All initial assessments are 50 minutes in duration of direct treatment. Subsequent sessions are typically 50 minutes, and they are one on one with your physiotherapist to optimize your rehabilitation. Depending on your specific needs, it is possible to book less or more time for your appointments – this should be something discussed with your physiotherapist.

Do I need a referral to Neuromotion?

No, you can self-refer. However if you have extended health coverage it is advised that you check with your extended health provider to see if you need a Doctor’s referral for insurance purposes.

Questions about the Lokomat

What is the Lokomat?

The Lokomat system consists of the Lokomat (robotic gait orthosis), the Lokobasis (body weight support system) and is used in combination with a treadmill. The client is suspended in a harness over a treadmill and the frame of the robot, attached by straps to the outside of the legs, moves the legs in a natural walking pattern.  The computer controlled guidance allows individual adjustments of different gait parameters. The Lokomat is made and distributed by Hocoma, a company based in Switzerland. It was first approved by FDA for use in the US in March 2002.

More information about the Lokomat and Hocoma can be found at their website: www.hocoma.com

Who can operate the Lokomat?

The Lokomat system should be operated by trained personnel only. Prospective users are trained by a Hocoma approved instructor or by a certified Lokomat user, and must have passed a theoretical test.

Have there been any serious incidents involving the Lokomat?

Any serious events are reported to Hocoma in Switzerland. To date the only serious event, which occurred in Europe, has been a fractured foot in an osteoporotic client due to the foot lifter slipping off. Currently, in our clinic, we have had three incidences of skin abrasions. New practices in protecting skin have since been adapted to address this issue. Skin integrity is considered when evaluating a client’s appropriateness for use of the Lokomat.

Are there emergency features on the Lokomat?

Clients are closely supervised while on the Lokomat with a therapist always present for the entire session. There are five emergency stops on the Lokomat for use by either the therapist or client. The Lokomat will immediately shut off if there are any adverse joint angles or forces.

What outcome measures are used to evaluate progress?

There are a number of different outcome measures that can be used to evaluate progress both on and off the Lokomat system, a few are listed below.

  • ROM (particularly hip and ankle)
  • Strength
  • Distance and Time
  • Speed tolerated
  • Timed Up and Go
  • Reported number of falls

How often should a client use the Lokomat?

This varies between individuals. Typically, clients are on the Lokomat one to three times per week. Goals and outcome measure are used to evaluate a client’s progress after four weeks of use and thereafter, every twelve weeks.

How long is a Lokomat session?

Each Lokomat session is an hour long with the goal that the client walks for 45 minutes depending upon the client’s abilities and tolerance. Time is gradually built up as the client’s tolerance and endurance increases.

How much does a Lokomat session cost?

Please call the clinic at which you would like to use the Lokomat.

Is the Lokomat funded through ICBC or third-party payers?

The Lokomat is part of the physiotherapy treatment session and is not billed separately. Individual coverage will differ depending upon the third party payer. A letter of justification can be sent to the third party payer explaining the difference in cost associated with the treatment sessions that include the Lokomat.

Do you need a doctor's referral for the Lokomat?

A doctor’s referral is not required for use of the Lokomat. A letter will be sent to the client’s physician informing her/him that the Lokomat is being used during therapy sessions

What is the minimum/maximum height and weight for using the Lokomat?

Max weight – 135kg =300lbs
Max height – 2m = 6’5”
Distance from greater trochanter to knee joint cavity between 350-470mm
Pelvic width between 290-510mm

What are the contraindications to using the Lokomat?

  • Severely fixed contractures
  • Non-consolidated fractures, unstable spinal column
  • Severe osteoporosis
  • Open skin lesions in the area of the lower limbs and torso
  • Circulatory problems
  • Cardiac contraindications
  • Extremely disproportionate growth of the legs and/or spinal column (eg. Bone or cartilage dysplasia)
  • Severe vascular disorders of the lower limbs
  • Osteomyelitis or other inflammatory/infectious disorders
  • Surgically fused hip, knee, ankle joints

What conditions can the Lokomat system be used for?

  • Stroke
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Cerebral palsy (CP)
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Paraplegia
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Endoprosthesis (eg. Total hip endoprosthesis)
  • Hemiplegic patients
  • Degenerative joint diseases of the lower limbs (eg. osteoarthritis of the knee)
  • Spinal muscular atrophy
  • Muscle weakness due to lack of mobility

Who can benefit from using the Lokomat?

In principle, all gait-impaired patients, whether the cause of the impairment is cerebral, spinal, neurogenic, muscular, or osseous, can be trained with the Lokomat system. Most of the data gathered to date on the Lokomat system is based on experiences with patients with spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy.