The short answer.
- Medstar Sport Physio & Health is the only clinic in the Metro Vancouver area that offers TECAR therapy.
- We are located at 1325 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, BC V7P 3E5.
- You can book online or call (604) 988-5411. No doctor's referral is needed to start physiotherapy in British Columbia.
What TECAR is, in one paragraph.
TECAR stands for capacitive and resistive energy transfer. It is a hands-on treatment that sends a gentle radiofrequency current, at around 500 kHz, through the tissue using a moving electrode. That current creates warmth deep inside muscle, tendon, and joint tissue rather than only at the skin. The warmth and the increased blood flow it brings are used to ease pain, relax tight tissue, and support recovery. You can read a fuller explanation on our what is TECAR page.
The only TECAR provider in the area.
If you search for TECAR therapy near Vancouver, you will keep arriving at one place. Medstar Sport Physio & Health is the only clinic in the Metro Vancouver area, which includes the North Shore communities of North Vancouver and West Vancouver as well as the wider region, that offers TECAR therapy. We say this plainly because patients deserve a clear answer, and because it is true today.
For people on the North Shore, this means a treatment that used to require a long trip, or no trip at all because it simply was not available, is now a short drive from home. For people in Vancouver proper, it means you no longer have to leave the region to find it. You can reach us from downtown by taking the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay and continuing a short way along Marine Drive, or by driving over the Lions Gate Bridge or the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. Many of our TECAR patients travel from outside the North Shore for exactly this reason.
Why we brought TECAR to North Vancouver.
TECAR has a long track record in European sport, where it is a familiar tool inside professional football, rugby, and athletics teams. Our team kept meeting patients who had heard about it through sport or while travelling and wanted to know where to find it at home. The honest answer was that no one in the Metro Vancouver area was offering it. We decided to change that.
Bringing in the equipment and the training was a deliberate investment, not a passing trend. We wanted active people on the North Shore, weekend athletes, and anyone working through a stubborn injury to have access to the same kind of treatment used at a high level overseas, delivered close to home by people who treat these injuries every day.
How TECAR fits our physiotherapy-led approach.
TECAR is a tool, not a cure on its own. At Medstar it sits inside a full physiotherapy plan. A physiotherapist assesses you first, works out what is actually driving your pain, and then decides whether TECAR is a sensible part of your treatment. When it is, we pair it with hands-on therapy and a clear exercise plan so the gains hold once the session ends. If TECAR is not the right tool for your injury, we will tell you that too. You can see how it folds into a course of care on our physiotherapy page, and learn which problems it tends to suit on our pages about who should try TECAR and TECAR for sports injuries.
How to book.
Getting started is straightforward. You can book online through our scheduling page or call the front desk at (604) 988-5411 and we will find a time that works. In British Columbia you do not need a doctor's referral to see a physiotherapist, so there is no extra step before your first visit. If you are not sure whether TECAR suits your situation, call and ask. We would rather have an honest conversation up front than book you in for something that will not help.
We are at 1325 Marine Drive in North Vancouver, the only clinic in the Metro Vancouver area offering TECAR therapy, and we are glad to see patients from across the North Shore and from Vancouver alike.
Common questions.
Where can I get TECAR therapy in Vancouver?+
Medstar Sport Physio & Health at 1325 Marine Drive in North Vancouver is the only clinic in the Metro Vancouver area that offers TECAR therapy. It is reached easily from across the North Shore and from downtown Vancouver by the SeaBus or by the Lions Gate and Ironworkers Memorial bridges.
Is there any other TECAR clinic on the North Shore or in West Vancouver?+
Not at this time. We are the only provider in the Metro Vancouver region, which includes North Vancouver and West Vancouver, offering TECAR therapy. If you find TECAR closer to home in future, that is a good thing for patients, but right now Medstar is the place to receive it in this area.
Do I need a doctor's referral to book TECAR at Medstar?+
No. In British Columbia you can see a physiotherapist directly without a referral. TECAR is delivered as part of a physiotherapy session, so you can book online or call us and start without first visiting your family doctor.
How do I get to the clinic if I live in Vancouver?+
We are a short trip from downtown. You can take the SeaBus across to Lonsdale Quay and reach us along Marine Drive, or drive over the Lions Gate or Ironworkers Memorial bridge. Many of our patients come from outside the North Shore for exactly this reason.
Related reading
The only TECAR on the North Shore