Jessica DeMars
Physiotherapist
Jessica graduated from the University of Alberta in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy (with distinction) and is the owner of Breathe Well Physio. She continued her education with numerous post-graduate courses in manual therapy, myofascial release, and acupuncture. In 2006, after attending a physiotherapy symposium, she discovered the missing element in her practice - breathing. After attending her first course in breathing biofeedback, she began to integrate breathing retraining into her practice. In 2010, she traveled to New Zealand to become certified in the BradCliff Method® of breathing retraining. In 2016 she completed a Master of Science in Applied Breathing Sciences from the Graduate School of Behavioural Health Sciences, which allows her to focus on the behavioural aspects of dysfunctional breathing. In 2015 she was awarded a grant through the Clinical Research Innovation Fund and investigated the link between dysfunctional breathing and asthma in children (turns out many children with asthma breathe poorly). And in 2019 she was again awarded the grant to investigate the effect of breathing retraining in adults with severe asthma. Jessica is also the 2016 recipient of the Pinnacle Award of Excellence from Physiotherapy Alberta.
The Canadian Instructor for the New Zealand-based BradCliff Method®, Jessica has also traveled across Canada presenting and lecturing on the impacts of dysfunctional breathing on health, with recent keynote speeches at the Saskatchewan Lung Association Conference as well as the upcoming International Association for Dance Medicine & Science Conference.
Clinically, her interests lie in working with individuals with chronic disease and complex needs. Recently, after noting the number of individuals she has worked with that had a history of cancer, Jessica pursued certification as a PINC physiotherapist through the PINC & STEEL Certification program. This enables her to appropriately address issues pertaining to cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Jessica believes strongly in working with other health care providers and communicating with them to ensure the end result is a happy and healthy individual.