Stéphanie Desjardins
in a nutshell
I love it when my patients come back and they've finally been able to get back to doing what makes them happy! Whether you aspire to play LEGO on the floor with your grandchildren, knit while marathoning Netflix, or get through your next triathlon, your goal is now my goal! Throughout my 9 years of practice, I have a range of techniques, advice, and exercises to offer you to help you reach your goal as quickly as possible!
You'll get along well with me if:
- Do you like to chat? I'm all ears for your best stories, whether it's about your kids having a meltdown at the grocery store, your deck hockey final, your basement renovation project, or your latest stock market investment.
I have a particular interest in:
- From the occasional athlete to seasoned marathon runners, dealing with everything from ankle sprains to concussions.
- I have a soft spot for soccer, ultimate, tennis, hockey, and baseball players, as well as runners and cross-country skiers, having played all these sports at one time or another in my life.
Get to know Guillaume
I played a lot of sports when I was young (hockey, baseball, soccer, tennis, running), but I never needed to see a physiotherapist. It was my mother who put me on the path to this profession after meeting a physiotherapist following a minor car accident. When I looked into it, I quickly realized that I could combine my desire to help people, my interest in science (especially biology!), and my love of sports. I actually started my career by supporting many young athletes in their competition goals and following teams during games and tournaments.
- Sports First Responder, John Boulay (2015)
- Re-certification, Sports First Responder, John Boulay (2018)
- Manual Therapy, Level 1, Sylvain St-Amour (2015)
- Non-traumatic injuries of the lower limb, Blaise Dubois (2015)
- Manual Therapy, Level 2, Lower Quadrant, Melanie Roch and Myriam Hobbs (2016)
- Manual Therapy, Level 2, Upper Quadrant, Éléonore Turgeon-Fournier and Sylvain St-Amour (2017)
- Prescription of radiographic examinations in physiotherapy, Raymonde Fortin (2018)
- Neurodynamic Treatment with Motor Control Retraining, Sean Gibbons (2019)
- Manual Therapy, Level 3, Upper Quadrant, Marie-Claude Boisselle and Stéphane Lamy (2019)
- Manual Therapy, Level 3, Lower Quadrant, Stéphane Lamy (2025)
- Advanced Concussion; Body Image and Midline Presentations, Sean Gibbons (November, 2021)
- SIJ; Hip & Lower Limb: Movement analysis; Sub-classification; Neuromuscular Retraining for Functional Movement Control, Sean Gibbons (May, 2022)
- Shoulder Girdle; Forearm and Hand: Movement and Loading Analysis for Motor Behavior Therapy, Sean Gibbons (October, 2022)
- Cervical Spine & Temporo-mandibular Joint: Loading Analysis for Motor Behavior Therapy, Sean Gibbons (April, 2023)
- Thoracic Spine: Movement & Loading Analysis for Motor Behavior Therapy, Sean Gibbons (November 2023)
- Headache and orofacial pain, Sylvain St-Amour and Claudine Farah (2024)
What I love about physiotherapy is really helping people feel better. Each person who consults represents a unique challenge, a bit like a puzzle to solve, with its own details, which makes each day different and exciting. And then, when people come back and tell me that they are doing better, it makes my day every time!
I'm quite a jack-of-all-trades, but what I do most regularly is running, whether it's for a short, quiet outing or a half-marathon. I also enjoy the outdoors by cross-country skiing, snowboarding, or hiking. In the summer, I often get around by rollerblade or bike. I also play hockey and ultimate frisbee!
I've had minor injuries here and there from years of sports, but nothing that has ever stopped me from continuing to be active with a little work!
My first job was... a fly matchmaker (yes, really, flies). My job was to create pairs of flies to put them in competition, as part of a biological control project against the onion fly. My hands smelled like onion for an entire year, no matter how many times I washed them.
I achieved my best half-marathon time while pregnant! And my worst time after a night when my children kept waking up... each in turn... all night long... non-stop.
I fractured my nose in an accident involving a garbage can, a sled, a balcony, and a lot of snow.
Services offered by Guillaume
We offer a full range of healthcare services tailored to your individual needs. Whether you’re seeking treatment for a specific condition or looking to maintain your overall well-being, we’re here to help.
In most cases, a blockage or stiffness doesn't originate solely from the area where you feel the limitation. It could be due to joint irritation, a protective muscle spasm, or a mechanical restriction that prevents normal movement.
Simply treating the pain or “forcing” movement does not solve the problem. At Physioactif, our approach involves precisely identifying the underlying issue through advanced manual physical therapy and restoring effective movement starting with the very first sessions.
Numbness or neuralgia does not always originate solely from the area where the symptoms appear. The problem may be related to irritation or compression of the nerve in the spine or elsewhere along its peripheral course, as in the case of jaw neuralgia, where the pain radiates to the face.
When the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, numbness is often caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. An evaluation helps pinpoint the exact cause of the symptom and allows for the use of appropriate techniques, such as neurodynamic mobilization, to improve the nerve’s tolerance to movement and reduce radiating pain.
When symptoms affect the inner ear, treatment for vertigo involves targeted exercises for the vestibular system. Our guide to physical therapy for nerve-related pain explains these techniques in detail.
Chronic pain is rarely caused by a single factor. It can involve mechanical and neurological components, as well as increased sensitivity of the body’s pain system. This is also true in oncology physical therapy, where pain requires specialized management. It is often for this reason that passive or overly general treatments yield few lasting results. Balance disorders and dizziness also respond well to active, targeted management.
At Physioactif, the approach involves analyzing all the factors that maintain pain and gradually reintroducing adapted movements and loads to desensitize the system and improve function.
Rehabilitation doesn't start after surgery, but well before. Good preparation helps improve mobility, strength, and understanding of exercises, which greatly facilitates post-operative recovery.
After surgery, the goal is to gradually restore movement, protect the healing tissues, and regain the abilities needed for your daily activities without compromising the results of the surgery—a process supervised by physical therapists certified by the FCAMPT.
It’s common to have received several different explanations or to have not received a satisfactory answer to a persistent problem. When faced with conflicting explanations or a persistent problem, getting a second opinion from a physical therapist can help clarify your condition. A thorough evaluation allows for a structured review of your case and an analysis of factors that are often overlooked during initial consultations.
At Physioactif, the evaluation aims to establish precise clinical reasoning, validate or invalidate certain hypotheses, and propose a clear direction based on your actual situation.
Sports-related pain isn't just caused by trauma; it often results from repeated stress that the body can't handle, as in the case of anterior knee pain in runners. Continuing to train without addressing the cause increases the risk of a relapse.
The evaluation helps identify the limitations involved, whether related to mobility, strength, or control. Treatment then aims to reduce pain, correct functional deficits, and prepare for a gradual return to sports. To resume physical activity during or after pregnancy, prenatal physical therapy provides guidance to ensure a safe return.
An inefficient running technique can place excessive strain on certain structures and contribute to the onset of pain, including patellofemoral syndrome, which manifests at the front of the knee. These issues are not always apparent without analysis
Biomechanical assessment allows us to observe your running pattern, identify limitations, and make precise adjustments. The goal is to optimize movement while reducing stress on the body.
Accident-related injuries can affect the neck, back, or nervous system, even if symptoms initially seem mild.
An assessment helps identify the affected structures and establish a tailored treatment plan recognized by the SAAQ to promote full recovery.
Work-related injuries can be mechanical, muscular, or caused by repetitive movements.
The assessment helps us understand the specific demands of your job and tailor treatment to ensure a safe and lasting return to work under the CNESST program.
The physical consequences of a criminal act can include muscle pain, stiffness, or more complex injuries.
The goal is to precisely assess your condition and implement a progressive treatment that respects your recovery pace and the requirements of the IVAC program.
Injuries in veterans are often complex and can affect multiple systems, such as joints, muscles, or the nervous system.
Our approach aims to precisely understand your condition and provide structured treatment that meets program requirements while supporting a gradual return to your activities.
Techniques mastered by Guillaume
The McKenzie Approach is a globally recognized assessment and treatment method that is particularly effective for back problems. It is often combined with manual therapy provided by an FCAMPT-certified physical therapist to create a comprehensive treatment plan. This approach gives you the tools to manage and prevent your pain on your own. The same principle of guided self-treatment applies to jaw joint pain, where targeted exercises help restore a comfortable range of motion.
The Mulligan approach, recognized worldwide, combines active movement and mobilization to produce immediate results. This unique technique restores joint function without pain, even in cases where other approaches have failed. It is part of our arsenal of orthopedic manual therapy techniques.
Knowledge is the key to a successful recovery. Our educational approach helps you better understand your pain-related issues and provides you with the tools you need to actively participate in your recovery and prevent relapses. For example, it helps you understand the mechanisms behind urinary incontinence.
An ill-suited workstation can cause strain and pain that affect your productivity. Our professional ergonomic assessment identifies the adjustments needed to create a comfortable and efficient workspace.
A personalized exercise program is the key to achieving your strength and endurance goals, as well as to strengthening your thigh muscles and relieving patellofemoral pain. Our expertise in designing tailored programs allows you to progress safely while taking your abilities and lifestyle into account. To understand how these therapeutic rehabilitation exercises fit into a recovery plan, check out our comprehensive guide.
Weak stabilizing muscles can cause pain during prolonged postures or everyday movements. Core exercises are often taught incorrectly and can hinder your progress—a common challenge in postpartum physical therapy when it’s necessary to reactivate the abdominal core. Our specialized approach activates these essential deep muscles, creating a solid foundation for all your movements and daily activities. The pelvic floor is one of these deep muscles, and its rehabilitation follows the same principles of control and coordination.
Joint pain and stiffness can significantly limit your daily activities. Our physical therapists, trained inthe FCAMPT approach, use specialized joint mobilization and manipulation techniques to restore the natural movement of your joints and reduce your pain, including for temporomandibular joint disorders that limit your ability to open your mouth. This expertise is based on FCAMPT certification.
Poor posture can be the source of many everyday aches and discomforts, including jaw tension related to the position of the head and neck. Our approach combines precise postural analysis with practical solutions to improve your natural alignment and prevent chronic muscle tension. For toddlers, posture assessment is part of pediatric physical therapy for children ages 0 to 7.
Always moving the same way can lead to injuries because repetitive movements eventually overburden the same structures in your body, which often explains persistent pain in the front of the knee. Our approach precisely analyzes and corrects your movement patterns to restore biomechanics that won’t cause microtrauma. This focus on quality of movement also applies to children’s motor development, where we support the acquisition of proper movement patterns from an early age.
Therapeutic taping uses adhesive strips to support a joint and guide movement in the short term. Among our approaches, we use the McConnell method in particular, which focuses on biomechanical correction rather than a neuromuscular effect—a technique sometimes used as a complementary treatment for patellar pain. Taping aimed at altering biomechanics can provide short-term relief; however, according to available data, so-called neuromuscular taping approaches do not show a clear advantage over placebo taping. We do not deny that some people still experience a benefit from it, but it is not an approach we recommend as a first resort: taping always complements an active treatment plan tailored to your evaluation—it is never a substitute for it.
Tele-physical therapy offers the flexibility of professional care from the comfort of your own home. No matter where you are in the world, you can benefit from our unique expertise. This modern solution provides effective, personalized care tailored to your schedule, while maintaining the highest quality of care.
Primitive reflexes that persist into adulthood can disrupt your balance, coordination, and posture, causing chronic tension and pain. The symmetrical tonic neck reflex during lateral flexion can also be assessed. The integration of these reflexes is a cornerstone of pediatric physical therapy for children ages 0 to 7. The Galant spinal reflex test is one such assessment. When balance disorders are predominant, vestibular rehabilitation complements this approach. Our specialized approach targets these primitive motor patterns to restore more mature and efficient movements, specifically by assessing the Galant spinal reflex. These treatments are indicated for persistent pain.
We are pioneers in Quebec in the treatment of nerves. We know that symptoms of nerve compression—such as tingling, numbness, or burning pain—can disrupt your sleep and your quality of life. These nerve irritations can also contribute to jaw pain, which we evaluate in the same way. Our specialized nerve treatment techniques precisely target these sensitive structures to reduce irritation and restore their proper function.
Contact Guillaume Lamothe
If you have any questions or would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Phone
Office
190 Bas-de-Sainte-Thérèse Road, Suite 110,
Blainville, Quebec
J7B 1A7
Located in Blainville, near Rosemère, the Physioactif clinic is easily accessible to residents of the area and the surrounding communities
Make an appointment now






