read what our clients are saying ... 

SCOLIOSIS

“Being diagnosed with scoliosis at 14 was a minor irritant during my active teens years.  But after years staring at a computer screen at work and the birth of my second child, my constant back and neck pain could no longer be ignored. Physiotherapy, yoga, pilates and tai chi have all been helpful but after my first treatment with Joshua, I felt immediately encouraged. Here was someone who could understand my experience first-hand. Using structural integration therapy, Joshua works on those tight muscles with direct intensity and for the first time, the movement is coming back.” – R.T.

“I was diagnosed with scoliosis as a teenager and have struggled with related pain and discomfort since my 30s. I tried a few different methods of help that provided short-term relief before learning about Josh. His approach is based on his own experience with having scoliosis, so he has an understanding of how it feels to have scoliosis and how to treat it which is unique among practitioners I've worked with. Along with hands-on treatment for my thoracolumbar curve, Josh has also taught me exercises I can do between our sessions. These exercises give me a tool I can use outside treatments to further our work together. I now take for granted a pain-free life instead of planning my life around scheduling appointments to get temporary pain relief. 

As a practitioner, Josh is professional, friendly, thoughtful and knowledgeable. He has also treated my daughter and works just as well with teens as he does with adults. Joshua's practice is located in a comfortable and welcoming environment. I'm very grateful to Josh for the incredibly positive impact he's had on my general health and wholeheartedly recommend his services.” – A.L.

NOTE FROM JOSH: The process of treating scoliosis is complex and challenging. It must involve retraining a patient’s sense of balance, stretching muscles which have shortened and become weak, and creating volume and vitality in the areas of the torso which have become compressed. It takes a great amount of mental, physical and emotional effort to retrain oneself to be upright despite the pull of an advanced scoliosis.

Frozen Shoulder

“Now that I’ve gotten treatment from Joshua, I just wish I met him sooner! Joshua’s work is precise, effective and educational. I’ve gotten immediate pain relief following his treatment but also a much better understanding of my body as Joshua takes the time to explain the strains I put on my muscles and the stretches I can do at home to live pain-free. While I don’t always do my homework, I love working with a professional whose goal is to keep me from needing further treatment! 

Most recently, I had a frozen shoulder episode where I could not lift my left arm. I was in pain throughout the day and felt the condition getting worse with every hour. I was able to see Joshua that afternoon, at which point I was not even able to lay down comfortably on my back. I was dreading any type of work on my painful shoulder. Joshua spent most of the hour working gently around the area where I felt pain, and I had a FULL range of motion in my arm within that one session! A half-session the next day took care of the discomfort that was left in my shoulder from the day before and now … I can’t even remember what that pain felt like! I trust Joshua implicitly and wholeheartedly recommend him!” – I.S.

“I was very grateful and satisfied to have had Joshua Lyons treat my frozen shoulder.  He is a very highly skilled and highly trained professional, who I would not hesitate to recommend or endorse to others with this condition.  His caring attitude, dedication to his clients, and expertise in the application of structural integration therapy in his practice is exceptional.” – K.P.

NOTE FROM JOSH: The place where a person feels the most discomfort is not always the place where they need the most attention. Sometimes working directly on someone’s sore spot can be extremely painful and it’s better to work around the area so that the person doesn’t experience too much discomfort during the session. By working on muscles above and below the most tightened area it is possible to affect it indirectly. This also avoids the risk of the client tightening up more as a result of receiving too much direct work.

Herniated Disk 

“I began working with Josh after a recommendation from a friend.  I have some disc problems in my back and needed more than what previous practitioners had provided.  Josh has the ability to help align the body and relieve tension that is at the root of the problem.  He is very systematic in his approach and works with me to provide the best treatment possible.  I believe that Josh genuinely cares about my recovery and has already helped me immensely in a short period of time. As a tennis pro, I need the best possible person helping me get back to 100% and I believe Josh is it.” – B.J.

Neck Pain

“Josh’s inquisitive mind and keen sense of humour, combined with his extensive training and experience, create an exceptionally humanistic healthcare experience. I began working with Josh after years of increasing shoulder and neck discomfort. He quickly determined my issue is postural. I gained a deeper understanding of the sources of this pain from the knowledge Josh generously shared during treatments. I have great respect for the work Josh has done to correct his own physical challenges, and I appreciate the empathetic place from which he practices. Josh explains anatomy in clear, precise language, and his surety of touch during treatments has provides much needed relief. Smart, kind, and engaged, I have found Josh to be an absolute delight to work with over the past months. The improvement in my posture and discomfort level is considerable, and I highly recommend his services.  Thank you, Josh!”
– T.J.

Plantar Fasciitis (Foot Pain)

“I had a great deal of pain in my right foot for a number of years. I was told that the pain was caused by structural changes that occurred after many years of living with a dropped metatarsal arch and a bunion, and that the only thing I could do was to wear orthotics for metatarsal support and have steroid injections for the inflammation. Instead, I started working regularly with Joshua. When we began, I could feel that there was very little flexibility in my foot, and that it was not only my foot that was suffering - my ankle, and entire right leg were involved in the difficulty. Although the work was slow and painful, I had complete confidence in Joshua's work. He obviously knew what he was doing, and my foot and leg responded under his skillful hands. I could feel and see the difference in my foot as the tension released, and bit by bit, the pain lessened. Walking is one of my main forms of enjoyment and meditation. When I first came to Joshua, I couldn't walk for more than 20 minutes without excruciating pain. I would have to sit down, take my shoe off and massage my foot before I could continue. Now, about two years later, I often walk for two or three hours with only a short break. I'm doing a lot of self-massage between sessions, as well as doing the exercises he showed me. I'm hoping to be able to walk the Camino in a year or so – with any luck, it'll be before my seventy-third birthday.” – A.E.

Rotator Cuff Injury

“I have spent the past 12 years trying to heal my right shoulder. Although I made fantastic progress within a few months of regular bi-weekly massages, I hit a plateau and was unable to satisfy complete recovery. So I kept searching for other ways and finally met Josh. I am happy to state that working with josh allowed me to complete my healing. I can genuinely say that my shoulder is no longer a chronic injury, in fact it finally feels as it should! Pain & worry free. In some sense, my shoulder was always on my mind and required constant attention and now it no longer occupies my mental space at all. That is an amazing feeling and I can say with a great degree of certainty, that Josh concluded that for me within a few months of weekly treatment. I wish I knew Josh 12 years ago... But now I do and have made Josh my go-to body mechanic.” – R.N.

NOTE FROM JOSH: After a rotator cuff injury, it is common for frozen shoulder to occur. Frozen shoulder is a condition where a person’s shoulder has lost range of motion, often experiences discomfort. I have developed a thorough and effective treatment protocol for returning a person’s shoulder to full range of motion. Rather than try to identify the singular, underlying cause of a person’s frozen shoulder condition, I work on all of the muscles and fascia around the shoulder joint.

Torticollis (Wry neck)

“Although this testimonial is about my torticollis condition, I booked my initial appointment with Joshua because I needed help with knee pain, which was happening during yoga classes. I was struggling to get comfortably into lotus pose and Joshua's manual treatment reduced my pain and helped me get into the pose with more ease. Joshua's explanation was that my knee difficulty was caused by my pushing into lotus before my muscles were loose enough to be ready. The combination of a few treatments and the advice not to push was enough to allow me to continue my yoga practice with much greater comfort.

Early on in our sessions Joshua commented on the condition of my neck. He noticed my restricted range of motion, and the difference in the tone of the muscles on one side of my neck to the other. I explained that I had been born with this condition. My parents took me home after my birth with instructions from the delivering doctor to press my head away from the tense side to stretch it. It would cause my mother too much distress to follow this instruction - as a newborn infant I would cry as my neck was stretched - so my father took on this duty.

Throughout my life - I am now in my 40s - my neck has been a source of mild to severe discomfort. When there have been times of stress in my life, my neck has inevitably become sore and very stiff. I had become accustomed to a reduced ability to turn my head, to having headaches and jaw pain. I have been diagnosed with TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome), and have needed to use a teeth protector to stop me from grinding my teeth at night. I used to find temporary relief with some forms of treatment, but had assumed that the condition was a chronic one which I would never stop having to deal with.

Within only a few sessions of treatment from Joshua my range of motion had improved, my feeling of stiffness was vastly reduced, and my headaches and jaw pain no longer happened. As this testimonial is being written it has been almost a year since Joshua treated my neck with no return of my old symptoms, so I consider his intervention to have created a permanent recovery of a lifelong difficulty, for which I am eternally grateful.” – W.M.

YOGA

“I've been seeing Joshua for over 10 years now. I am a professional yoga teacher, and Joshua has helped me through many injuries and issues that could otherwise have negatively affected my work. I continue to see him after all these years because his treatments are consistently effective and profound. I also refer my students to him with total confidence that they will receive compassionate, professional, and highly skilled treatment." – R.D.

Help With Range of Motion and Body Comfort (Yoga)

“It has been a pleasure working with Joshua. His unique approach to adjusting and healing my body has produced positive results. He quickly identified my problem(s) and was clear about the intention and method of treatment. His focused therapy helped greatly extend the range of flexibility and motion I can now achieve with more comfort and ease.” – H.M.

Post-surgery Shoulder Rehabilitation (Yoga)

“I underwent surgery for a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy with reconstruction to treat breast cancer. I was first referred to Joshua so that he could work with the cording and scar tissue which had formed after my first surgery. Joshua’s treatment successfully smoothed out the cording, to the point where I could no longer feel it and I regained all the mobility I had prior to surgery. This took only three appointments. As his work to remove my cording was so successful, I returned to Joshua between surgeries and after my final surgery.  I again, needed help with scar tissue which had formed after the surgeries, restricting my range of motion and causing me great discomfort. I found Joshua’s help necessary for recovery. The work he did for my physical recovery helped in so many ways to ultimately overcome my battle with cancer.  Strength and flexibility have returned and I am back to doing my yoga practice and generally being active without discomfort.” – B.K.

NOTE FROM JOSH: Through my connection with David Robson and the Ashtanga Yoga Centre of Toronto I’ve had the opportunity to work with dozens of yoga practitioners of all abilities. If your shoulders don’t feel right in Bridge pose (urdvadanurasana), if your hip flexors won’t lengthen for kapotasana, if your low back is restricting you in kurmasana, if your knees get sore when you work towards lotus-pose I have developed protocols that will help you advance your yoga practice confidently and safely.

Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention

“Josh is the best. Great for rehabilitation. He helped me with a swollen knee a couple of years ago and a shoulder muscle tear more recently. And he’s great for injury prevention, improving mobility and increasing range of motion, which is my ongoing interest. I’m a believer.” – P.B.

Dislocating Kneecap (Patella instability) 

“When I was 9 years old, I dislocated my left knee cap.  I dislocated it again when I was 10, 11, 12, 14 and 17.  By the time that I was 18, I had had surgery where the lateral ligaments were cut to prevent future full lateral dislocation.  I was given a very thick neoprene brace and cautioned to wear it whenever I did any type of physical exercise. 

For the first 15-20 years after the surgery, I managed okay.  By wearing this thick, hot, itchy uncomfortable brace, I was able to participate in most physical activities.  But, by my mid-30s, I discovered that I could no longer run or do any type of “impact” exercise as, even with my brace on, my knee would swell up to twice its size.  At some point, in my late 30s, I realized that without my conscious knowledge, my knee cap had begun “tracking” improperly on a consistent basis, where it did not do a full lateral dislocation, but where it did a partial dislocation during the top 30 degrees of straightening my leg. 

My physician referred me to an orthopedic surgeon in Halton Region where I lived at the time.  He told me that there was nothing that he could do for me.  Physiotherapy was the only option. 

In physiotherapy I was told that I had no muscle at all on the inside of my knee to stabilize the cap, so we worked on developing this “VMO” muscle.   I spent thousands of dollars, for over a year, where I made small gains, but then plateaued.  After a few months of seeing no results, I gave up.

Depressed, and without hope, I managed life as best as I could … wearing my brace, and restricting activities to those that did not involve impact or sharp-turns.  I saw chiropractors, worked out with trainers, and did not engage in activities that worsened my knee.  But no one that I met had the skills to help my knee improve.

My knee continued to worsen throughout my 40s, to the point that I could not go up or down stairs without my knee dislocating.  I developed a maladaptive gait where I walked with a locked leg, and without bending my knee.

When I moved to Toronto, I was referred to the best knee surgeon in the city:  the surgeon for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The CT scan showed arthritis, bony changes and complete lack of cartilage.  After discussing my case with other surgeons at joint surgical rounds at The Toronto Hospital, my surgeon told me that my only option for me was a full knee replacement.  He added that replacement knees last only 20 years, so if I didn’t want a second replacement at age 68, I should try to put up with it the way that it was as long as possible and post-pone the replacement until I could not bear the pain any longer.

Needless to say, my future looked very bleak.  My husband and I were in the process of building a new home, so we incorporated an elevator into the plans in preparation for my eventual physical demise. 

Then, some chance meetings with some amazing professionals from BNI led me to Joshua Lyons.  One year ago, I had never heard of structural integration.  Today, I will tell you that structural integration has changed my life and given me hope.  When everyone else said that nothing could be done for me, Josh disagreed and began his manual therapy.  One year later, Josh is accomplishing what surgeons said could not be done. 

Three months after seeing Josh, I was walking with a normal gait, bending my knee without it dislocating.  At 6 months, I could make my way up 4 or 5 stairs without dislocation.  By eight months, I could get up a whole flight, and at 11 months, I can actively CLIMB a full set of stairs with full weight on my bad knee. 

My knee is far from perfect, but every treatment builds on the last, and every treatment, my knee gets stronger and stronger.  After each treatment, I cannot wait for the next one as I am so addicted to the gains that I experience every time.  Josh has done so much that “couldn't be done” that I am totally optimistic about the future.  I now believe that full recovery is possible.  And if it is, I know that Joshua Lyons is the one who will make it happen.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Joshua Lyons for everything that he has done for me, from giving me hope to giving me my mobility back.  I will be eternally grateful for everything that you have done for me.

My request to everyone else today is to refer anyone you know who has any type of structural injury or physical problem, no matter how chronic, and no matter how severe, to Josh, even if they tell you that nothing can be done.  Josh Lyons might just change their life like he did mine.” – M.L.