Ralph Gardiner – Physiotherapist | Laval, QC

Ralph Gardiner is a dedicated Physiothérapeute. Practicing at CISSS de Laval (Hôpital Cité de la santé) in Laval, QC, Ralph is committed to high-quality, patient-centered care aligning with Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ) standards. His approach emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of each patient's unique needs, ensuring tailored treatment strategies that promote optimal recovery and long-term wellness.

Ralph's physiotherapy focus encompasses a wide range of musculoskeletal, neurological, and age-related conditions. He specializes in addressing issues such as acute injuries, chronic pain, joint stiffness, and post-operative rehabilitation. Ralph also dedicates attention to the health and mobility of older adults, aiming to improve strength, balance, and independence, thereby enhancing their overall quality of life.

With a solid educational background and ongoing professional development, Ralph has developed expertise in Orthopedic, Musculoskeletal, and Geriatric Physiotherapy. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, he fosters a collaborative and culturally sensitive environment, actively involving patients in their recovery process to achieve meaningful health outcomes.

Ralph Gardiner provides skilled physiotherapy care for a variety of conditions, including but not limited to:

Vestibular Balance

• Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD / 3PD): A common cause of chronic dizziness that can be helped with specific physiotherapy strategies aimed at desensitizing the brain to provocative stimuli and normalizing reliance on sensory inputs.
• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): Effective, non-invasive treatment for positional dizziness and vertigo using specific head and body movements performed by a trained Vestibular Physiotherapist.
• Vestibular Hypofunction (Unilateral or Bilateral): Helping your brain adapt to a weakened inner ear balance sense, reducing chronic dizziness, improving visual focus during movement, and enhancing your overall balance and stability.

Neurological

• Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) - Movement Retraining: A movement-based therapy approach, often guided by principles of motor learning and de-emphasis on presumed damage, to help individuals with FND regain voluntary control over their physical symptoms and improve confidence in their movements.
• Muscular Dystrophy / Myopathy - Supportive Physiotherapy Care: Physiotherapy aimed at maintaining optimal function, managing contractures (joint stiffness), optimizing mobility (including prescription of mobility aids), adapting activities, and managing respiratory function (if applicable) for individuals with progressive muscle weakness due to muscular dystrophy or other myopathies.
• Stroke (CVA) Rehabilitation: Comprehensive neurological rehabilitation provided by a Neuro Physiotherapist to help individuals regain independence, maximize their recovery potential, and adapt to any residual impairments following a stroke.
• Facial Palsy / Bell's Palsy Rehabilitation: Targeted exercises and techniques provided by a Physiotherapist to manage symptoms of facial palsy and support optimal recovery of facial muscle control.

Back Neck Pain

• Postural Back/Neck Pain: Discomfort, aching, stiffness, or muscle fatigue in the back or neck arising from sustained or awkward postures during daily activities, prolonged work (e.g., desk work, computer use), or sleep.
• Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD): A range of neck and related symptoms including pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, and sometimes arm pain or cognitive difficulties, following a rapid acceleration-deceleration injury to the neck, most typically from a motor vehicle accident.
• Spinal Stenosis Symptoms: Often age-related changes leading to pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots, causing pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs with walking (neurogenic claudication in lumbar stenosis) or in the arms/hands (cervical stenosis).
• Herniated Disc / Sciatica / Radiculopathy: Symptoms of nerve compression originating from the spine, such as a 'slipped disc' or 'pinched nerve', causing radiating pain, altered sensation, or muscle weakness in a limb.

This list offers examples of conditions commonly addressed. If your specific concern isn't listed, please contact the clinic. Ralph can assess your needs.

• Geriatric Physiotherapy & Seniors' Health: Addressing common concerns in seniors such as difficulty walking, fear of falling, joint pain and stiffness, and deconditioning, to improve their overall quality of life and ability to participate in meaningful activities.
• Tele-Rehabilitation / Virtual Physiotherapy Consultations: Effective virtual physiotherapy care to help you manage your condition, progress your rehabilitation, and receive professional advice when in-person visits are challenging or not preferred.
• Soft Tissue Mobilization & Release Techniques: Hands-on treatment focusing on your body's soft tissues to restore pliability, reduce discomfort, and optimize movement quality.
• Rehabilitation for Age-Related Deconditioning & Loss of Autonomy: Rehabilitation focused on reversing the effects of deconditioning, combating frailty, and restoring autonomy for seniors, enabling them to live more fully.
• Home-Based Physiotherapy Visits (Mobile Physio): Convenient and effective physiotherapy care delivered in your home by a qualified Physiotherapist, focusing on your specific goals and challenges.
• Manual Therapy (Joint Mobilization & Manipulation): Application of precise, passive movements to joints to decrease stiffness, relieve pain, and facilitate easier, more comfortable movement.

Note: This list highlights some key services offered by Ralph. For a full list or to discuss your specific needs, please contact the clinic.

All services are provided in accordance with standards set by the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ).

At CISSS de Laval (Hôpital Cité de la santé), physiotherapy is focused on helping individuals like you achieve significant improvements in health and daily activities. Ralph frequently helps patients work towards goals such as:

• For those whose numbness, tingling, or weakness in my hands, arms, feet, or legs has made performing tasks requiring fine motor skills and dexterity with ease seem like a distant memory, Ralph's physiotherapy care offers a clear path toward a smoother and stronger postpartum recovery. Effective, evidence-based treatments can be instrumental in helping you get back to performing tasks requiring fine motor skills and dexterity with ease with greater comfort and renewed confidence.
• Ralph frequently assists patients in overcoming the effects of managing stiffness, tremors, and movement challenges with Parkinson's disease. A carefully designed physiotherapy program, potentially including specialized manual techniques and progressive exercises, targets improved performance in work-related physical demands and supports your enthusiastic engagement in desired activities like operating machinery or tools safely and efficiently at work.
• Physiotherapy with Ralph can be a transformative turning point for those affected by shoulder pain that makes simple things like lifting my arm or reaching overhead difficult. The shared goal is achieving decreased frequency and intensity of headaches related to neck or postural issues, paving the way for you to enjoy participating in light recreational activities like bowling or mini-golf and a more active, vibrant life.

Your personalized physiotherapy plan, developed with Ralph, will be designed to help you reach your specific functional and wellness objectives.

Ralph practices at the CISSS de Laval (Hôpital Cité de la santé), situated in the Chomedey North neighborhood of Laval. This public healthcare facility is conveniently located near Carrefour Laval (Mall) and is accessible via Société de transport de Laval (STL). Our clinic is wheelchair accessible. Free patient parking is typically available on-site or nearby.

What is physiotherapy and how can it help me?

Physiotherapy, delivered by a qualified Physiothérapeute, is a science-based profession that focuses on restoring movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness, or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of future problems. Your physiotherapist will use techniques such as therapeutic exercise, manual therapy (hands-on treatment), education, and advice, empowering you to manage your health independently and achieve your physical goals.

Do I need a doctor's referral to see a Physiothérapeute in QC?

In Quebec, patients can typically access a Physiothérapeute directly without a physician's referral, a process known as direct access. However, while a referral may not be legally necessary to receive treatment, some private or extended health insurance plans require a physician's referral for reimbursement purposes. Patients are advised to verify the requirements of their individual insurance policies before their first appointment.

Is physiotherapy covered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) in QC?

In Quebec, RAMQ generally does not cover physiotherapy services provided in private clinics. Patients usually pay out-of-pocket or through private insurance. Coverage may be available for care received directly within a public hospital or CLSC if meeting specific criteria. It is recommended that patients check their private insurance plans and verify any eligibility for public coverage directly with RAMQ.

What is the difference between a Physiotherapist (Physiothérapeute) and a Physiotherapy Technologist (Technologue en physiothérapie) in Quebec?

A Physiothérapeute in Quebec has completed a master's level university education, allowing them to assess patients, make diagnoses, and develop treatment plans independently. A Technologue en physiothérapie holds a college diploma and assists physiotherapists by implementing treatment plans, helping with exercises, and reporting progress.

Is physiotherapy treatment supposed to be painful?

Physiotherapy should not be painful. Some discomfort or a stretching sensation may occur as you work to regain movement or strength, especially in early stages, but treatments are tailored to your comfort. Ralph will guide you through each step, modifying treatments as needed to ensure a positive and safe experience aimed at improving your condition.

CISSS de Laval (Hôpital Cité de la santé)
1755, Boulevard René-Laennec
Laval, QC H7M 3L9

Phone: (450) 668-1010

Ralph Gardiner is regulated by the Code des professions and Professional Integration Arrangement for physiotherapists in QC and is a member of the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ).

Registration can be verified with the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ).

Always consult with your primary healthcare provider before starting any new treatment program.