SECOND LOCATION
Cabot Physiotherapy is now in Glace Bay.
A Cape Breton couple has expanded their dream.
Melissa McDonough-Howley and her husband Brian Howley, purchased Cabot Physiotherapy in Sydney in 2014, and have now opened a second clinic in Glace Bay.
“Glace Bay is my hometown so this is really exciting for me, a dream come true,” said Melissa McDonough-Howley, who lives with her husband and two children in Sydney.
“We’re both really excited about being there but I’m the one from the Bay.”
The couple met in 2003 when they were both physiotherapy students at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
“Brian grew up in Bras d’Or and I grew up in Glace Bay so we didn’t cross paths at all until we met in Halifax,“she said.
“Conveniently we both had the dream of moving back home so it all worked out.”
They married in 2007 and over the following few years gained experience in a variety of physiotherapy fields.
In 2014 they purchased Cabot Physiotherapy in Sydney when the previous owner retired.
“We were quite excited to take the business over and move into a new direction and grow.”
McDonough-Howley still remembers the first day.
“We had our son right around the same time so it was a busy time in our life with our first child and the first business. It was a busy, exciting and scary time all wrapped up together.”
In November 2016, they relocated the Sydney business to 1125 Kings Rd. in Sydney River, in the same building as Platinum Fitness gym and Downtown Nutrition.
“It’s a vibrant location, a real nice complement to our physiotherapy clinic,” said McDonough-Howley.
Talk of opening a second location in Glace Bay became a reality in November.
“It was always on my mind to be able to come home and provide these services in my community was always something I wanted to do,” she added.
McDonough-Howley said their goal from day one is to treat everyone like their own family from the minute they walk through the door.
“We try to give everyone the time and attention they need, no one feels rushed,” she said. “I think it all comes back to local flare, keeping it all very close to home.”
Howley said he’s also excited about the Glace Bay location.
“We’re really excited to have two locations … and things are going well. We’re looking forward to the future.”
Services at both locations include physiotherapy, massage therapy, women’s health physiotherapy, vestibular rehabilitation, concussion management, shockwave therapy, acupuncture and dry needling.
McDonough-Howley said they are busy with all the services but especially physiotherapy and massage therapy.
“We see work-related injuries, sports injuries and certainly this time of year people slipping and falling and also back and shoulder injuries from shovelling. “
She said one thing people might not realize is that a doctor’s referral is not required for physiotherapy or massage therapy, both clinics are direct access.
“In almost every case insurance will cover the cost without a referral.”
The new business will also create new jobs.
McDonough-Howley said they expect to hire several people in different capacities in the spring.
“We will be creating at least a couple of new jobs.”