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Ghasem Sokhanvar - Burnaby Physiotherapist

Ghasem Sokhanvar

Coquitlam Physiotherapist

Book an Appointmentwith Ghasem Sokhanvar

Education

  • University in Tehran
  • Canadian Physiotherapy Association
  • Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute

Certifications

  • Bachelor of Physiotherapy
  • Master of Science equivalency in physiotherapy from the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy
  • Intermediate manual & manipulative therapy in physiotherapy
  • Certified acupuncturist
  • UBC Gunn IMS practitioner

Ghasem graduated from Beheshti Medical University in Tehran, Iran with an honours Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree in 1994.

Being one of the top students in the program, Ghasem was offered a position to work as a clinical instructor at the orthopaedic hospital educating and mentoring physio students for the next decade.

In 2006, Ghasem immigrated to Vancouver with his family and upgraded his education qualification to achieve a Master of Science equivalency in physiotherapy from the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy regulators.

In 2008, after successfully passing the Canadian national board exam, was hired by Ridge Meadow Hospital as an interim physiotherapist, becoming fully licensed in 2009.

Ghasem worked as a physiotherapist in a variety of local hospitals up until joining Westwood Total Health in 2012 to lead our physiotherapy department.

The work he did from 2009 to 2012 at local hospitals spanned a variety of different wards including surgical, medical, orthopaedic, Emergency, ICU, MCU, TCU and General rehabilitation. Ghasem still works on the weekends as a physiotherapist at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.

Achieving certification for intermediate manual and manipulative therapy in physiotherapy in 2015 from the orthopaedic division of the Canadian physiotherapy association, Ghasem has also completed many other orthopaedic, taping, gait analysis, custom orthotics, first responders to athletes and soft tissue management courses. Ghasem is a certified acupuncturist through the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute, as well as a UBC Gunn IMS practitioner, having completed the Gunn Intra Muscular Stimulation (IMS ) and dry needling courses.

Ghasem’s treatment philosophy centres on the restoration of biomechanics through soft tissue and joint manipulation, graded joint mobilization, IMS, dry needling, acupuncture and therapeutic exercise. He believes in correcting movement abnormalities that hinder proper function and posture by use of an evidence-based approach to manual therapy, modified for each individual.

With more than 20 years of experience working in different public and clinical settings as a physiotherapist, Ghasem has been able to combine multiple strategies in treating his clients and helping them to achieve their goals. This includes treatment for rotator cuff repair, ACL reconstruction, joint replacement, pinched and tight nerves, as well as a variety of sports injuries including tear or strained muscles and sprained ligaments/joints.

In his spare time, Ghasem enjoys weight lifting, running, swimming, hiking, spinning, volleyball, soccer and snowshoeing/skiing.