What Our Clients Say

Christy is exceptionally dedicated. It was great to find a therapist who genuinely wants to help, not just find a quick fix. She has a special talent to teach how everything in our body (and mind) is connected to each other. Her enthusiasm and motivation is contagious. After every appointment, I was always looking forward to the next one. I guess it would be impossible not to stay motivated when you notice change and progress all the time. She taught me simple but invaluable things, which have made skiing more fun than before.

When I first came to you it was to help me fix a very specific problem ... help my knee so I could run again. Four months later I was inspired to share this with you. Yesterday after a fairly heavy snow fall I went out and shoveled for over 2 hours. I did my front walk & sidewalk (front and back) plus 4 neighbors. I didn't fatigue at all. I thought "Okay ... let's work on the alley & parking spots behind the house & see how I do there." I've done it in the past and every time have had a really tired lower back that felt crampy a day or two after. This time I gave it a shot and noticed (quite proudly) that my core was activating on instinct ... I didn't even have to think about it. I had more endurance than I have EVER had in my life until now and when I was shoveling from one side of the alley to the other snow-plow style by pushing (and I have a wide shovel) that when I got half way across the alley my shovel would start slowing down as the snow piled higher. I focused on firing my glutes for some extra power and the shovel sped up and I was able to easily make it across the whole alley in one swipe. Lifting was easier too ... wow! I've never felt so powerful!! I was throwing huge shovelfuls of snow 3 - 4 feet onto a pile with almost no effort. It was incredible! I kept saying to myself "Functional strength baby ... functional strength!" I finished and felt great. No fatigue anywhere, nor any stiffness in the days following! I didn't even feel tired although I was breathing hard because my pace kept me in an aerobic zone. I am very happy that I came to an early realization that I would only get out of this what I was willing to put into it and this would not be a magical fix. I knew that you were giving me the tools and body awareness to dramatically improve myself. Having put in the effort, followed your guidance and doing the exercises has made all the difference. Thank you so much Christy!

When I think about Athletic Therapy, it is with a sense of awe and appreciation. I’m still not sure I can describe exactly what it is, or why it works so well. The best that I can come up with is that the many tools that Christy has at her disposal – an intricate understanding of how the human body functions and of exercise, combined with soft tissue work and a gift for listening to people and meeting them without judgement where they are in life – all come together to form a powerful mechanism for change. Just don’t expect an easy ride, or a quick fix. But if you’re willing to do the work, Athletic Therapy just might help get you where you want to be.

What impresses me the most is how much she knows for a young woman and her knowledge is without a doubt extremely professional. I would consider her a natural healer. We are very lucky to have her in Nelson! I am thankful for all her help.”

Après 5 ans de douleurs dans le bas du dos, j ai finallement rencontrée Christy Nichol à Nelson. What a luck!! Elle a changé mon état critique, chronique à un état de vie normale. Après plusieurs années de traitements chez des spécialistes et dépensés des milliers de dollars, Christy a pu soulagé beaucoup de mes douleurs. Elle a un don de guerison et elle sent bien les parties du corps. Elle m impressionne énormément avec toutes ses connaissance pour une jeune femmes de son âge. Je lui suis très reconnaissane.

She helps bring the mind body connection back together in an environment that is non intimidating and fun. Christy is very thorough and passionate and is helping me piece together the many riddles that have perplexed me for years that others just couldn't find. Thank you Christy for all your help!!”

I have spent years and invested thousands of dollars into my back pain, and I finally found something that works! I would recommend Kootenay Athletic Therapy to anyone who has persistent chronic pain."

Her communication skills and level of professionalism helped to make sure that the best decisions were always being made. She was an important asset to our team and a significant reason why we were so successful.”

Christy worked with us, both 60-somethings, one trying to get past a severely sprained ankle, the other trying to get into better shape for serious hiking in 2005-2006. Her activities included introduction to weight and other forms of training, manual therapy on the ankle, supervised and assisted training, advice and encouragement in the development of personalized training plans, including advice on travel that has proven highly beneficial.

There were many things that made her so effective.

First was our confidence in her basic skills and knowledge. It was reassuring to know that her advice and suggestions are based on serious academic training, not simply on life in the gym. She has an excellent education in the field.

Second, however, was our confidence in her experience. Neither of us were, or ever will be, serious athletes at the college and professional level. But to know that Christy has worked with such athletes, both as a strength and conditioning coach and an Athletic Therapist assured us that we were working with a serious and respected professional.

Third is Christy's personality. It is hard to describe her without cliches: warm, supportive, caring, encouraging, enthusiastic, cheerful, demanding but never judgmental. Not to mention smart, articulate, funny. But this is exactly how she is.

We understand that Christy is now developing a practice that will include people like ourselves: a little older, perhaps a little creakier, perhaps dealing with some minor disabilities or medical issues -- but who are committed to staying active, fit, and involved. Christy's combination of skills and personality makes her exceptionally qualified to help people achieve these goals”

In three months, I went from being in a great deal of pain and not being able to walk more than half a block to having the stamina to walk for half-an-hour, uphill, travel, stand for periods of time and do many activities that had been difficult, if not impossible before, such as getting in and out of a car and climbing flights of stairs.

Christy has an amazing ability to diagnose what it was I was doing incorrectly, show me how to correct it and give me the appropriate exercise to practice. She developed an exercise programme that was particularly tailored to my needs and e-mailed this to me after each weekly session. The exercises did not require expensive equipment or a special place, but could be done in my own home with very simple equipment such as a thera-band, exercise ball and something as simple as a cardboard box and a telephone book.

Throughout the months I worked with Christy she was not only generous with her time and knowledgeable, but extremely supportive and encouraging. I recommended her to family members and friends, who also found her work to be helpful and of a high caliber.”