Activate Neurological Physiotherapy

01/21/2026

Many of our conversations in the clinic come back to the same questions:
“What is actually happening in my brain?”
“How much recovery is realistic for me or my family member?”
“Why does progress feel so slow and unpredictable?”

One book that explains this clearly and compassionately is:
👉 “Stronger After Stroke: Your Roadmap to Recovery” by Peter G. Levine

Why we like it:
🧠 It treats stroke recovery as a long-term process, not a 6–8 week episode
The book explains that the brain remains capable of change when we keep working on targeted, meaningful tasks over time—not just during the initial rehab block.
🎯 It focuses on what you can do between sessions
Repetition, task-specific practice, using the affected arm/leg as much as possible, and structuring your day so the nervous system is actually challenged (without being overwhelmed).
🔍 It is honest about effort and limits
There are no miracle promises. Instead, it lays out what is realistically required to make progress, where intensity matters, and where compensation strategies may be appropriate.
🤝 It’s useful for both clients and families
Caregivers often tell us they feel “in the dark” about how to support rehab at home. This book offers practical, structured ideas that can be adapted with your therapist.

A book is not a substitute for individual assessment and treatment—but a well-chosen book can make rehab feel less mysterious and give you a better framework for the work you’re already doing.

If you’re reading this (or another neuro rehab book) and are unsure how it applies to your situation, bring your questions to your next session—we’re happy to translate concepts into a concrete plan for you.

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

01/16/2026

We hear this question often:
“My stroke was last year (or a few years ago). Is there any point in starting physio again now?”

A common scenario looks like this:
You had a stroke.
You completed inpatient rehab and maybe some outpatient sessions.
Life became busy, services ended, and progress seemed to “plateau.”

Months later, you still have weakness, fatigue, or trouble walking—but you’re not sure if anyone can help at this stage.

Here are a few important points:
🧠 The brain can continue to change beyond the early phase.
Recovery may be slower, but meaningful improvements in strength, balance, confidence, and quality of life are still possible.
🚶‍♀️ Function, not just impairment, matters.
Even if strength tests haven’t changed much, targeted rehab can improve how you move, how you manage fatigue, and how safely you navigate your environment.
📅 Timing still matters—but “late” is different from “never.”
We can’t turn back the clock, but we can help you make the most of where you are now.

In an assessment, we typically:
✔️ Review your current abilities and main challenges
✔️ Look at walking, transfers, and balance in real-world tasks
✔️ Discuss your priorities (work, caregiving, hobbies, community participation)
✔️ Build a realistic plan that fits your energy and schedule
If this sounds like your situation, you’re not alone—and no, you haven’t “missed your chance” to work on recovery.

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

01/07/2026

Dizziness is a vague word. For clinical decision-making, we need more detail.

Common patterns we see in practice:
• Spinning vertigo (room feels like it is rotating), often short-lived and triggered by head position → can suggest inner ear involvement such as BPPV.
• Unsteadiness or “walking on a boat” without clear spinning → can be vestibular, visual, sensory, or central (brain) in origin.
• Blurred or unstable vision with head movement → often related to impaired vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR).
• Dizziness in busy visual environments (supermarkets, crowds) → frequently linked to a mix of vestibular, visual, and anxiety components.

Vestibular rehabilitation is most useful when:
• Symptoms are provoked by head or body movements, not purely random.
• There is a suspected or confirmed vestibular or central cause rather than only blood pressure or medication side effects.
•The person is prepared for temporary symptom increase during graded exercises as the system adapts.

A vestibular-trained neurological physio will:
•Ask detailed questions about timing, triggers, and duration of symptoms.
•Screen for red flags that require medical follow-up rather than rehab alone.
•Design a program that may include VOR exercises, balance training, habituation, and positional manoeuvres where indicated.
•Clear diagnosis and targeted treatment are more productive than living with a general label of “dizziness” for months or years.

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

01/02/2026

New Year messaging often revolves around vague intentions: “get healthier,” “get stronger,” “work on balance.” In neurological rehab, that level of vagueness is not helpful.

When we set goals with clients, we look for:
1️⃣ Specificity
Not “walk more,” but “walk independently to the local shop and back, including one road crossing.”

Not “improve balance,” but “stand to prepare a simple meal for 10 minutes without needing to sit down.”

2️⃣ Measurability
Distance (metres), speed (m/s), repetitions, time on task, number of stairs, number of falls.

Objective tests when appropriate (for example, timed up-and-go, 10-metre walk test).

3️⃣ Relevance
Goals must connect directly to roles and responsibilities: parenting, work, community participation, hobbies, or caregiving.

4️⃣ Feasibility within a realistic timeframe
Ambitious but not fantasy. We will tell you honestly if a goal needs to be scaled, sequenced, or reframed.

In January, rather than writing a list of resolutions, it can be more effective to identify one or two high-value functional targets and build a structured plan around them.
If you are unsure how to translate “I want to be better” into a precise, testable goal, this is exactly the kind of work we do in an initial neuro physio assessment.

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

12/24/2025

Holiday Wishes from Activate

From all of us at Activate, we’re sending warm wishes to our clients, families, and community this holiday season. 🎄❄️

As the year winds down, we’re reflecting with gratitude on the stories, smiles, and steps forward we’ve shared with so many of you. Whether your journey was big or small, steady or winding we’re honoured to be part of it.
Thank you for your trust, your hard work, and your heart. We see it in every session.
Wishing you peace, connection, and rest over the holidays. We’ll be here cheering you on into the new year and beyond.

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

12/17/2025

Could artificial intelligence help therapists track and improve mobility in stroke or Parkinson’s rehab?

A recent study from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich says "Yes".
Researchers developed a wearable sensor system powered by AI that can evaluate the quality of a person’s movement in real-world settings. The technology uses machine learning to detect step asymmetries, arm swing reductions, and other movement deviations that are often too subtle to notice by the untrained eye.

This innovation is especially promising for conditions like Parkinson’s, where early changes in movement can be key indicators of progression. By capturing continuous data during daily life, clinicians may soon be able to personalize therapy and medication with greater precision.

Why does this matter? Because therapy shouldn’t only be based on what’s seen in a 60-minute session. This kind of real-world data helps inform rehab strategies that truly reflect a client’s daily experience.

At Activate, we’re always watching developments like this with interest. While we rely on expert observation, hands-on assessment, and collaboration with clients, tools like AI may enhance how we individualize and adapt rehab programs. Until then, our team continues to guide movement with insight, intention, and a deep respect for the human side of recovery.

Your movement tells a story—one we’re here to listen to, interpret, and build on.
Source: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/08/428346/new-study-can-your-phone-and-ai-track-parkinsons-progression

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

12/11/2025

Dizziness- you're not imagining it. Many clients come to us after being told their dizziness is “just anxiety.” But for those with vestibular dysfunction, the sensation is real and often deeply distressing.

One condition we treat is Mal de Débarquement Syndrome (MdDS), characterized by a persistent feeling of rocking or swaying after stepping off a boat, flight, or long car ride.

While most people regain their balance shortly after travel, some feel like they’re still moving for days, weeks, or even months. MdDS most commonly affects women in midlife, and it’s often misdiagnosed or misunderstood. What makes it especially frustrating is that symptoms typically ease while in motion (like driving), but worsen again when still.

Clients often say, “I feel like I’m on a boat all the time,” or “the only time I feel normal is when I’m moving.” Vestibular disorders can affect your ability to stabilize your gaze, move confidently, and tolerate busy environments. Common symptoms include:

- Sudden vertigo or spinning 🎡
- Feeling off balance in open spaces 📏
- Visual motion sensitivity (e.g., trouble in stores or crowds) 🥴

At Activate, we take these symptoms seriously and offer support for MdDS and other travel-related vestibular syndromes through:
- Vestibular rehabilitation therapy tailored to the cause 👀
- Education on how and why symptoms occur 📚
- Graded exposure to motion and movement 🏂

We often work with clients after travel, especially cruises who expected to return refreshed but instead feel like their world hasn’t quite stopped moving.
Dizziness has many faces and all of them deserve compassionate, informed care.

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

12/09/2025

The cerebellum is best known for its role in balance, but it's far more important than that! Clients with cerebellar disorders often experience:

- Uncoordinated movements (ataxia) 〰️
- Slurred speech 💬
- Eye tracking issues 😵‍💫
- Difficulty with fine motor tasks like writing or buttoning a shirt ✍️

Cerebellar dysfunction affects how smoothly and accurately the body moves and how confidently someone engages with their world. Whether the cause is a stroke, degenerative condition, tumor, or genetic condition such as spinocerebellar ataxia, .
For example, one of our clients with cerebellar ataxia described walking as "feeling like I'm trying to steer my legs through molasses." Another shared how difficult it was to navigate curbs or walk in a straight line on uneven terrain.

At Activate, we work with clients on:
- Improving trunk and limb coordination 🤹‍♂️
- Balance retraining and postural control 🤸‍♀️
- Functional task practice with real-time feedback and cueing 🏌️
- Energy conservation when movement takes extra effort ⚖️
- Confidence-building strategies for navigating busy or unpredictable environments 🤲

We often say that therapy for cerebellar conditions is about helping the body "relearn rhythm." And with patience, practice, and support it can.

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

12/05/2025

Jose brings enthusiasm, warmth, and a dynamic approach to his role as a Rehabilitation Assistant. Originally from Puerto Rico, he spent many years in Arizona before moving to Canada, and his friendly, outgoing nature is a big part of what makes him so memorable to clients.

He has a special passion for working with neurodiverse clients and children, and he brings creativity, movement-based play, and a strong sense of fun to his sessions. Whether he’s offering encouragement or breaking into song to lift someone’s spirits, Jose knows how to make therapy feel engaging.

Outside of work, Jose is a devoted father of three who loves hiking, camping, and soaking in the beauty of nature. His positivity, compassion, and ability to bring joy into every space make him a valued part of the Activate team!

🧠 Neurological Therapy Services
📍 #308-14928 56th Ave, Surrey, BC
📞 (604) 351-8634
📧 reception@activateneurophysio.ca

12/03/2025