Nico Berg

Nico Berg

Physiotherapist, B.Sc.(PT), M.Phty

Email: Nico Berg

Nico has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from UBC and a Masters in Physiotherapy Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia. Before joining LVOSP, he maintained a busy sports medicine practice for amateur and professional athletes while at clinics in Whistler and Vancouver. He has trained with core rehabilitation experts, including prominent Australian physiotherapists, and with Alex McKechnie, physiotherapist for the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors. In addition to completing many of his own professional continuing education courses, Nico has taught several clinical anatomy courses to physiotherapists.

Nico gained recognition for rehabilitating elite athletes with recalcitrant pelvic injuries. He has consulted for many NFL, NBA and NHL teams as well as for professional franchises in Europe. He has taught the Hard Core Strength program to local physiotherapists, to physiotherapists of the Barclays English Premier League (soccer) and, more recently, to the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. Nico was also a consultant to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the areas of core strengthening, athletic performance and injury prevention for more than three seasons (2010-2014).   Nico was the keynote speaker at the 2009 Hockey Injuries and Sports Medicine Conference in Boston speaking about core related injuries and strengthening.

A life-long resident of North Vancouver, Nico has played soccer from age six, including years with the Vancouver 86ers/Whitecaps and with several junior national teams. Nico still enjoys being involved with soccer either as a player or now as a coach. Nico enjoys spending his free time with his wife and three children.

Nico joined LVOSP in 2002 and is now co-owner.

Areas of Interest: Sports injuries · knee injuries · core training

Appointment Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 7:00 am to 12:40 pm and Tues, Thurs 10:40 am to 5:00 pm

TESTIMONIALS

“Over the course of my eleven year professional hockey career, I had to overcome several injuries ranging from minor muscle strains to major joint surgeries.  I have gone to see Nico Berg at the Lynn Valley Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy Centre to rehabilitate many of these injuries including a major hip and shoulder surgery.  Nico Berg is one of the best physiotherapists that I have ever come across during my career.  His knowledge and experience puts him in a select group of elite physiotherapists in my opinion and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him and learn from him.  Lynn Valley Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy Centre is a first class facility with everything you need to rehabilitate any injury and the staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable.”

– Steve Kariya

  • Former Right Winger for the Vancouver Canucks – NHL
  • Veli-Pekka Ketola Trophy Winner 2005 (most regular season points in the Finnish Elite Hockey  League)

 

“I have had the opportunity to work with Nico extensively over the past several years both in Minnesota and at his clinic, Lynn Valley Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy Centre.  He designed and implemented a core strengthening program that has been essential to my recent playing success.  I have used that core strengthening program almost daily before every practice and game to help warm up and activate my body for basketball.   Among the many different types of exercise programs and machines I have tried, it stills remains the most efficient means to prepare myself for basketball!”

– Kevin Love

  • Power Forward/Center for the Minnesota Timberwolves – NBA
  • NBA 2008 – Present
  • 2 time NBA All Star (2011-2012)
  • USA Olympic Gold Medalist
  • NBA Most Improved Player 2011
  • NBA All Rookie Second Team 2009

 

“Coming to the NBA from Barcelona I was introduced to many new things. One of them was Nico Berg and his core strengthening program.  I found his manual therapy techniques and core strengthening extremely helpful.  It helped me not only with   treatment and rehab of my injuries but also, with improving my core strength and athletic performance. I will continue to use Nico’s program to improve my strength and athleticism because it works.”

– Ricky Rubio

  • Point Guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves – NBA
  • NBA 2011 – Present
  • NBA All Rookie First Team (2012)
  • 2x NBA Rising Star (2012 & 2013)
  • 2011–12 NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month: December, January
  • 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist – Spain
  • Spanish ACB League Top 5 Trophy: Most Spectacular Player of the Year (2010)
  • 3× FIBA European Young Player of the Year: (2007, 2008, 2009)

 

“As a NBA world champion, I know how far you have to push your body.  In order to do that, your body has to be in top condition.  I worked with Nico Berg for several seasons and found his techniques and core strengthening program to be incredibly helpful for correcting, maintaining and improving my physical condition to level necessary to perform at my best.”

– JJ Barea

  • Point Guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves – NBA
  • NBA 2006- Present
  • 2011 NBA Champion with the Dallas Mavericks
  • Silver Medalist 2013 FIBA Americans Championship (Puerto Rico)

 

“Playing many years in the NBA can take its toll on your body.  Despite injuries and the wear and tear of the NBA, it is important to keep your body moving as well as you can.  I have worked with Nico Berg for several years optimizing the way I move in order to keep playing at my best.  His manual skills and core strengthening exercises have been a huge part of my program that has kept my body right!”

– Luke Ridnour

  • Current Point Guard (2014) for the Charlotte Bobcats – NBA
  • Drafted 14th overall by Seattle Supersonics in 2003
  • Member of the Milwaukee Bucks 2008-2010 and 2013-2014
  • Member of the Minnesota Timberwloves 2010-2013
  • NBA 2003-Present

 

“As rehab director and team physical therapist of the Minnesota Timberwolves professional basketball team, it has been and honor and a pleasure to have been able to work alongside a therapist of Nico Berg’s caliber the past two and a half years. Nico is a gifted clinician mixing comprehensive assessment skills with creative, highly skilled and thorough treatment approaches. He has justifiably earned the reputation as the “core guy”, but that only scratches the surface of his clinical expertise. He is a meticulous biomechanical analyst who assesses muscular imbalance and mobility deficits in order to design and implement a detailed plan of action comprised of manual techniques and exercise progression that enable the athlete to achieve optimal biomechanical performance while minimizing risk of overuse injuries caused by repetitive activation of a faulty movement system.”

– Andre Deloya (Rehab director and Team Physical Therapist for Minnesota Timberwolves)

  • Director of Rehabilitation for the Minnesota Timberwolves
  • President and CEO of Accelerated Sports Therapy and Fitness
  • Former supervising Therapist for the Institute for Athletic Medicine in Minneapolis
  • Former Director of Time Rehabilitation Center
  • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

 

“Nico and his staff at Lynn Valley Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy were critical to the continuation, and success, of my college soccer career. While playing Division I soccer in California, I protracted a season-ending injury called Osteitis pubis. I experienced limited progress and felt I had reached a plateau in my rehabilitation, and was even considering surgery, until I started working with Nico.

His skills, knowledge, professionalism, and PT expertise allowed me to not only avoid surgery, but also return in time to play the following season. Nico is the man to go see if you want to get healthy and live a normal, pain-free, life.”

-Riley Newport

  • 4th Year Mid-fielder for University of California -Davis (NCCAA Division 1 – Big West Conference)
  • 3x BC Provincial All Star
  • U15-U17 Canadian Development National Team

 

“After sustaining any injury to my left knee due to training, not actually playing hockey, I was referred by my doctor to Nico Berg at Lynn Valley Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy Center. The injury was not so serious as to require surgery, but would require treatment. I was very concerned about the recovery period of this injury as it would prevent me from training and I have some very important camps and tryouts in September.

Nico and his staff have more than exceeded any expectations I had of getting treatment. The facility and gym area is top notch and very well equipped. The training atmosphere is excellent. I am very motivated going through my workouts in the surroundings provided.

Nico has done wonders with my injury. He assessed the problem immediately and put together a great training program that I was able to do, even with a sore knee. Within weeks the injury was healed. He also found other issues with my lower body that needed attention, much more balance was needed and he addresses those areas as well. I have much better flexibility, range of motion, and increased power.

I will continue to train with Nico until I leave for camp in late august as his treatments and work out programs are helping me so much. My skating has never felt better. The treatments I am receiving are also so important towards future injury prevention.

I would like to thank Nico and the staff at Lynn Valley Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy Center for a great experience. I thought for sure I was going to have training down time. I am thrilled I didn’t and my body has never felt better.”

– Connor Rankin
Left Winger for WHL Calgary Hitmen
Drafted 7th overall by the Tri-City Americans in 2009 (WHL)