News from The Balance Group

A message from Toni-Lynne Monger, Physiotherapist and Clinical Director at The Balance Group:

I often get asked why we don’t offer electrotherapy (such as laser, ultrasound and shockwave therapy), I would like to take a minute to explain our reasoning.

In these times where we are chasing quick results and outcomes I feel it is important to bring the message across that our biology takes time to heal.

We all know that losing weight rapidly might initially feel great, but mostly comes back with full force if not carefully managed. The same happens with injuries - the focus should not be the removal of pain, but rather to keep moving and the pain response will follow.

We often find in treatment plans involving avoidance of movement and/or bracing strategies, that initially the pain will disappear until one returns to movement. These strategies do not necessarily help the body to heal. We want to rather prepare the body to deal with all forces placed upon it. This is what we chase at The Balance Group.

We don’t just focus on your symptoms. We take time to set goals that address the body holistically. We aim to create a balance between the various areas of the body. We want a strong upper and lower body and a balance between mind, body and brain.

Electrotherapy can aid in recovery and provide relief, especially in some more chronic cases. However, it is putting the agency into the therapist and makes you the patient. There is definitely a place for this kind of treatment and we are still deciding if we want to provide these services in future.

Our ethos at The Balance Group will always remain, to provide you with the tools to heal your body for long lasting results. This may require time and is not necessarily a quick fix, but the results are long lasting and in your power.

It is our job to make our movement sessions enjoyable and not feel like rehabilitation and it is our focus to get you moving one way or another. It is your responsibility to buy into the philosophy to “MOVE TO IMPROVE”.

Let’s welcome Nicole Loedolff, our newest physiotherapist:

Nicole Loedolff is joining us on the 8th of July. She graduated as a physiotherapist in the United Kingdom with a Masters and for the past 9 years has been working with a special interest in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Nicole trained and worked in the UK, where she found her passion as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, undertaking further specialist studies and training. She immigrated back home to Cape Town in 2022 and has since obtained her registration in South Africa.

Her special interest in sports and biomechanics is influenced by her undergraduate degree in Sport & Exercise Science. She likes to adopt a thorough clinical approach and assessment, finding the root cause of the dysfunction. Her treatment is then tailored with an appropriate mix of manual therapy and targeted exercises with a goal to returning you back to your highest level. She has worked with numerous runners, cyclists and rugby players.

She will also start working alongside Toni as our Womens Health physiotherapist.

And reintroducing the rest of our wonderful team

Toni Monger is our clinical director and a physiotherapist extraordinaire. This is not us saying it, but her loyal clients. What makes her unique is her quest in figuring out why the symptoms are there.

Toni spends her time between seeing clients, overseeing clients treatment plans and training our team. She is involved with nearly all of our regular clients in the background, watching videos, speaking with the team and ensuring you get the most out of each session.

Anwar Louw has now been with us since January. He brings with him 13 years experience as a sports physiotherapist, working extensively with rugby and football teams, tennis clubs and dance studios. He was a competitive swimmer for 9 years.

He is a great addition to our team, bringing a vast knowledge of acute injury treatment, with a special interest in concussions. His hands on approach is valued by his growing client base and his experience in dry needling appreciated.

Jaco Blom, head biokineticist at Balance has now been with us for 5 years. His passion in working out what is going on with our clients has gained him a long list of regular clients who swear by his methodology.

End of 2023 he completed his running coach certificate and has since built a small running community. If interested to join him to improve your trail running goals, reach out to us and we will connect you.

Sima Vena has been with us since 2021 as a biokineticist and has a very loyal following of clients, helped by his upbeat personality.

Last year he embarked on a new role as the strength coach for the Western Province Cricket Club ladies team and after a successful season he will continue in this role for the next year. We are proud of his success, and he remains available at Balance mornings and evenings.

Biokineticist Dzunani Mashele has been at Balance since 2022 and has since developed her skills in treating clients with an array of conditions. Her specialty is women’s health and scoliosis, however, as a keen sportswomen herself, she enjoyes working with any kind of client who likes moving.

She has also completed a postgraduate diploma in Interdisciplinary Pain Management and has been able to put her knowledge to got use with many of our clients with long standing pain symptoms.

Our newest addition to the Biokinetics team is Adrian Matthys. He joined us in January this year after his internship. To us he stood out, as he brings with him several years of working as a personal trainer. Often biokineticist are afraid of loading clients, Adrian thankfully enjoys developing strength programs and allowing clients to feel DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), a feeling that some of our clients love chasing.

Adrian also works with us as a sports massage therapist. His treatments are strong and he participates in Toni’s massage training.

Our sports massage therapist Kirsten Lockyer is now officially our longest team member, having joined us on day 1 way back in 2018. She came to us as a very accomplished massage therapist, and over the past 6 years she has deepened her knowledge and understanding of the body, receiving regular training from Toni.

Kirsten and Bianca massage many clients with curvatures of the spine, jaw issues, neck issues and pregnancy. That is on top of the usual sports massage.

Bianca Horsthemke is a sports massage therapist who in 2020 came highly recommended by several of our clients. A highly successful massage therapist with many years experience, she too benefits from the regular training delivered by Toni and can help with a variety of conditions very successfully.

Bianca and Kirsten massage many clients with curvatures of the spine, jaw issues, neck issues and pregnancy. That is on top of the usual sports massage.

4 weekly Yoga Classes

Monday @ 12:30pm—Tuesday @ 6:30am— Wednesday @ 4:30pm— Thursday @ 6:30am

Our yoga classes are aimed as a stepping stone between private classes and joining a bigger class. Suitable for everyone.

All 3 senior yoga teachers meet weekly with Toni to learn about the Balance teachings and to be able to work with our clients more individually in private sessions

Elsa van Niekerk is the owner of The Yoga Room in Vredehoek. She has been practicing yoga for decades and did her teacher training in New York in 2015.

She has been our client at The Balance Group for several years and has personally experienced our treatment philosophy which has drawn her to work closer with us.

Elsa teaches Mondays at 12pm

Suzanne Atie is the owner of All About Yoga.

She has been practicing yoga for decades and has been a Balance client since our inception. It is hugely beneficial for us to work with yoga teachers who have personally experienced how the Balance treatment works.

Suzanne teaches Wednesdays at 4:30pm

Sharline Rofail is the owner of Hiatus Cape Town in Kloof Street and since January part of our small yoga team. She teaches in the Astanga style and gives one on one private sessions.

Sharline teaches Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30am